Colombo: Tourists are scrambling to flee Lanka and cancelling holidays after the blasts that have sparked concerns the lucrative tourism industry could be sent into a tailspin. The attacks on hotels and churches came as Sri Lanka was emerging as a leading tourist hot-spot, the world’s top destination for 2019 by a major guide book. German schoolteacher Martin Ewest arrived in the island nation two days ago, hoping for a peaceful holiday with wife and daughter, 12. But all that changed when he heard about the attacks.
“We want to leave as soon as possible… but our embassy can’t help because they are on holiday, our airline says they can’t do anything, and our hotel has not offered us any assistance,” the 44-year-old told AFP. “It’s a difficult situation… we’re like sitting ducks, waiting till we can leave next week.”
For Pakistani executive Kashif Ali, it was a lucky escape. The 33-year-old had been trying to book his family into the Cinnamon Grand only to be told that no rooms were available. “We had all the plans to travel around the country but now we are scared to go anywhere,” he said, adding the blasts brought back disturbing memories of Pakistan’s own history of militant violence.
“We came here to escape all this—we wanted to relax, not spend all day in a hotel. Now we are just waiting to leave—it’s been a waste of a holiday,” his sister-in-law Sobia Samreen said. At Colombo’s international airport, nervous and exhausted travellers lined up to leave the country as heavily armed soldiers manned the entry and exit points.
The sense of anxiety was palpable at hotels lining the capital’s famed beachfront, with five-star properties such as the Taj Samudra Colombo and the Galle Face Hotel putting extra security in place, including armed guards who prevented anyone but guests from entering. The US has revised its travel advisory for Sri Lanka, warning of further possible terrorist attacks, while other nations such as Australia and Ireland have also advised citizens to exercise caution while in the country.
Lankan travel agent Morris Bernard said his company had recorded “lots of cancellations—about a quarter of our clients have cancelled or postponed their plans, saying they are scared (to visit)”. Another travel agent Saman Palitha said “the only group we were expecting this month has cancelled, 13 people from India, who said they don’t feel safe travelling here with family”.
We’re ashamed: Lankan Muslim Minister
Colombo: A leading Sri Lankan Muslim political leader on Monday called for introspection within the community after a local Muslim group was blamed for the suicide bombings. Rauff Hakeem, a Minister and a leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, said being a Muslim Minister in the Cabinet he believed the Muslim community and its leaders should introspect. “We are ashamed and outraged. We have tried to address issues within the community,” media reports quoted him as saying.
