Tourism Ministry yesterday requested President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to exempt tourist zones from the scheduled power cuts by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

As Sri Lanka is witnessing a steady increase in the number of international visitors entering the country, the Tourism Minister pointed out that it is essential for the industry to operate without any hindrance.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga raised the concern at the Cabinet meeting held this Monday (21).

He asserted that the tourism sector witnessing power outages at this crucial juncture could hamper recovery efforts.

Local tourism sector was the worst-hit from the implications stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic where stakeholders had to brave through numerous challenges to stay afloat. The survival came at the cost of job losses and prolonged pay cuts.

Industry stakeholders had shared their concerns in this regard with the Tourism Ministry as they had stressed the need for a smooth operating environment so that the quality of service delivered to the tourists remains high.

The Hotels’ Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) too recently called on the authorities to prioritise the tourism industry given its foreign exchange earnings capacity.

While a decision is yet to be taken in this regard, State Minister Solar Power, Wind and Hydro Power Generation Projects Development Duminda Dissanayake agreed to take the request into consideration.

He said the concerns will be shared with the CEB and the possibility of the tourist zones being exempted from the scheduled power cuts will be discussed.

Sri Lanka has a total of 16 tourist zones located across the island. They are: Nilaveli, Madugaga and the surrounding areas of Arugambay, Trincomalee, Kalkudah, Pinnawala, Dedduwa, Bentota, Kuchchaveli, Kalpitiya, Unawatuna, Negombo, Beruwala, Mount Lavinia, Yala and Ella.