Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia

During the last couple of months when the Sri Lankan war was on, the Tamil Diaspora and the sympathisers of the LTTE went on a rampage in the Western countries conducting demonstrations, processions, blocking roads, fasting and so on causing problems to the locals and inconveniencing the tourists. Because of this, tourists changed their travel arrangements from the West to Asia. This had an impact on their tourism.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Apart from this, employing additional Police in demonstrations and supplying security to various Embassies was a supplementary cost to the respective governments. It had been reported that the LTTE showdown in London cost the UK taxpayer around 48 million Sterling pounds. The cost to the US , Canadian and French taxpayers had not been divulged.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ After the LTTE demonstrations subsided, the other issue in the West has been the H1N1 flu. It had been reported that in the US one million people had caught the flu. According to US Health Authorities the bug spreads so fast that there is little they can do to contain it. The flu numbers are so large that US Authorities have given up ordering shutting of schools because they say that there is every chance of catching the flu by stepping out of the house. According to the US Centre fo Disease Control nearly 6000 cases are recorded every week. This as well had affected US toursim.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The paradox is that while the US had been having problems in its backyard, the US State Travel Department is warning US citizens not to travel to Sri Lanka due to potential terrorist attacks.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ During the height of the war with imminent terrorist attacks and when safety and security was at stake, US, UK, France and Canada considered it perfectly safe for their top government Ministers and Officials to visit Sri Lanka to pressurise the government for a pause in the war and go for a political settlement with the Tigers. But now that the war is over with no more terror attacks and suicide bombers moving around and the way is cleared for tourists, the US assessment is that it is not safe to travel to Sri Lanka!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This warning came after the government directed the Sri Lankan Envoys to convince Foreign Ministers that Sri Lanka is a safe place for tourists. The government is conducting a wide publicity campaign on Tourism and has launched 2011 as “Visit Sri Lanka Year” and hopes to attract 2.5 million tourists.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The irony is that the US had made its statement when the International Insurance Undertakers in London lowered the risk level in Sri Lanka and also after the Joint Cargo Committe of London removed Sri Lanka from the ‘War Risk List’. It appears that the US strategy is to undermine Sri Lanka.