ලංකාවේ සංචාරක කර්මාන්තය දියුණු කිරීමට කුමක් කළ යුතුද

 “No refunds!”, as a tourist in Sri Lanka - a personal experience report

By Frank-Reg. Wolff, Kandy

My family and I will not necessarily be representative of the average tourist in Sri Lanka, but I would still like to share our personal experiences as German travelers - as we see ourselfs primarily - here. We will be staying for two and a half months, flying back to Germany via Doha at the end of March. Unfortunately, we were still among the Sri Lankan visitors who had to apply for a visa at the island's embassy beforehand - which cost around 300 euros for two adults. That's why it's good that the visa requirement has now been abolished. 

As it is difficult to travel permanently across the country with children, we decided not to do this and mainly stayed in Kandy and went on day trips from here or stayed in other accommodation for one or two nights. We had the worst possible experience with trains, especially as we initially bought 3rd and 2nd class train tickets and found that as many tickets were sold as were requested and always with the note: “No refunds!" As the trains were then always so overcrowded in 2nd and 3rd class, we couldn't get inside the train at all with the children and then decided not to travel by train! This brings to mind a comparison I made when reading the Sunday Observer from March 9 in the Explorer section, where the article “SUN SHINES ON SRI LANKAS TOURISM” states that the government is aiming for three million tourists by 2025. But isn't that similar to selling tickets at the train station, where more tickets are sold than there are seats available? Doesn't the tourism infrastructure need to be developed better and more effectively before then? I would hope that those responsible would carry out a precise analysis before selling more tickets than there are seats available, figuratively speaking, with the terse remark: “No refunds!”

Also with the garbage problem on the island something has to change radically, because this garbage disfigures all parts of the once paradisiacal island and also the bad habit of burning your own household waste (including plastic and other toxic substances) does not exactly support tourist goals! The local population should also be protected from all the self-generated and sometimes very toxic exhaust fumes and as a first measure I suggest a bottle deposit system! You should also think about what kind of tourism you would like to have in Sri Lanka: mass tourism or individual tourism? I was in Sri Lanka for the first time in 1997 and still remember that everything was much quieter and there were fewer exhaust fumes in the air. It would be nice to create job opportunities in tourism for the island's young people in order to stop the fatal brain drain, as many of the island's children, once they have gained a foothold abroad, stay abroad and only return to their homeland as visitors. I intend to return to Sri Lanka in October with my family, two adults and two children aged 3 and 5, in order to personally participate in the hoped-for change in conditions here, and I hope that many locals will do the same to work actively towards a better and more beautiful Sri Lanka! That is why I have also attached our self-made poster: “Keep your Sri Lanka clean!” With best wishes and see you soon

Frank-Reg. Wolff and family from Germany