Former SLTDA chairman queries want for brand new Tourism Act in pandemic | Print Version

From Sunimalee Dias

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Mr. Udaya Nanayakkara

Square pens in round holes cannot choose an industry that is largely run by the private sector by calling for a change in tourism legislation by appointing bureaucrats to head its governing bodies, but rather focus on addressing the challenges of a global pandemic need to focus.

The former chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and industry veteran Udaya Nanayakkara said in an interview with the Business Times on Thursday at his residence in Colombo: “I see no reason for a new tourism law.”

Confused by the SLTDA’s decision to repeal the existing, relatively new Tourism Act of 2005, he stated, “This is a global situation (COVID-19 pandemic) and I estimate a return of 2.5 million tourist arrivals it could be by the end of 2023. “

He pointed out a number of other issues to be considered in the recovery process and insisted that despite the numbers highlighted by the government at tourist arrivals, the majority of visitors are “locals with foreign passports”. 4,581 tourists arrived in March.

“As a person who has been in tourism for a few decades, I find that the main disadvantage has been the appointment of people to be square pens in round holes,” noted Nanayakkara.

“You have to recognize that tourism is a completely private sector” and in this context there was no consultation with the private sector in the drafting of the new tourism law. After the drafting of the new law, the industry was asked for its “input” by the Ministry of Tourism.

“At the time of drafting the 2005 law, which I was also involved in, some adjustments may be needed, but certainly not eliminating the private sector in the decision-making process,” said Nanayakkara.

“I’ve read the new bill and I can’t understand why the private sector has been almost eliminated in the decision-making process.”

The former chairman noted, however, that the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) could merge as conventions are just another tourism product similar to wellness, sport and adventure.

There should be three different outfits focused on regulatory aspects similar to those of the SLTDA, and another focused solely on tourism marketing and promotion, and the other on human resource development for the hospitality industry, he said. In this regard, the scope of the Sri Lankan Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) should be expanded to meet today’s needs.

The former chairman also stated that the SME sector should also be represented on the board.

It was found that the composition of the SLTDA’s board of directors includes bureaucrats other than the chair under the bill.

“I do not think that a 100% privately invested, operated branch of the economy, since tourism should be regulated by an entire civil service,” he said, saying that this has led to a number of wrong decisions being made that even bordered on illegality.

He noted that the circular regarding the consultation of the Attorney General’s Office by all government agencies on any litigation that this SLTDA board allegedly ignored by hiring private legal counsel on “a whopping cost to set up” in the Yala Land and Fundamental cases Rights against the SLTDA for attempting to transfer a legal representative to a provincial council.

In addition, Mr Nanayakkara pointed out that there are allegations that land in Marble Bay and an island in Kalpitiya, both owned by the SLTDA, are being returned to their original owners and the latter is being rented out.

In this regard, he noted that private sector participation in the bodies is crucial, with an emphasis on bringing tourism back to the country, carefully following health protocols, rather than a new law bureaucrats in Establish bodies to which they will bow those people who have been appointed with “hidden agendas”.