Tourism can save us
Posted on February 8th, 2024
By Garvin Karunaratne
I am quoting an earlier paper of mine which if considered can develop the sad state of tourism in our country.
The only addition I make is about the takeover of hotel bookings on the Internet by giant foreign companies that have also taken over advertising. Our tourist board authorities have to think very seriously about the fact that these foreign booking companies advise the payment by the tourist to the hotel- which happens in rupees, but the booking company sends an invoice for fifteen percent to the hotel which the hotelier takes to his bank and the bank pays that invoice in our dollars. In short, our country has lost the dollars from our reserves.
In my foreign travel, I have always paid for hotels in India, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand in dollars. The hotels take over our passports and immediately they see a foreign passport they insist on payment in dollars. Time to think deeply.