(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has convened a high level discussion to keep the tourism industry afloat without hindrance In the face of the current power, fuel and gas crisis in the country. The discussion will be held at the Ministry of Tourism next Tuesday (29).
Secretaries to the Ministries of Power, Energy, Trade, and Transport, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and the heads of LP Gas companies, chiefs of the Armed Forces and the Police, and the tourism industry have been summoned for this high level discussion.
Mr. Ranatunga said that discussions will be held on getting priority in obtaining fuel for buses and vehicles carrying tourists, exempting tourist zones from power cuts, giving priority to those engaged in the tourism industry in obtaining gas from gas outlets and formulating relevant procedures.
The Minister said that due to the power, fuel and gas crises in the country, the tourism sector has been affected in various ways and this discussion was convened in view of that situation.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Development Authority says that 263,121 tourists have arrived in the country till March 24 this year. According to the latest reports released by the Authority, 84,287 tourists had arrived this month as of March 24. Last January, 96,507 tourists arrived.
From March 1 to 24, 18,863 Indian tourists arrived in Sri Lanka and 8,779 from the United Kingdom. The number of tourist arrivals from the Russian Federation during that period was 8008. Germany, France, Poland, USA, Kazakhstan, Canada and Iran were the major tourist destinations during that period.
Meanwhile, 43,358 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka from January 1 to March 24. The number of tourists from the Russian Federation was 36,826. According to the Tourism Development Authority, 26,863 tourists arrived from the United Kingdom, 20,740 from Germany and 13,780 from France.