By: Staff Writer
Colombo (LNW):Visa, a leader in digital payment technology, expressed confidence in the local tourism sector playing an active role in helping Sri Lanka’s economy revive, provided the proper digital payment infrastructure is in place.
With an improved focus on making payments easy for tourists, Sri Lanka can make tourism pivotal to its recovery and set it to grow as a major economic category, Visa Group Country Manager India and South Asia Sandeep Ghosh said.
“There is a need to work more closely with banks and look at how the acceptance of cards can be improved in the market.
He revealed that the reason eas that a large number of tourists is coming from the developed world where the common transaction method is via cards. We should be able to allow them to continue to do that,” said Ghosh in a media interaction during his visit to Sri Lanka recently.
Insights from Visa show that the modern traveller is looking for experiential travel, and not just visiting tourist hot spots, thus seamless and secure payment access is critical for tourism growth.
Accordingly, Sri Lanka needs to extend its payment infrastructure to enable businesses, regardless of the scale, to provide a variety of payment options wherever travellers are, and are accustomed to in their home countries – be it cards, contactless payments, QR code payments, and online/ecommerce payments.
“Investment in digital infrastructure is a must to welcome tourists and enhance their experience while in Sri Lanka, he disclosed
Smooth, and secure payments win consumer trust, especially for new tourists and even when consumers travel off the beaten path too, they should be able to make payments safely and conveniently.
Doing so will make consumers feel confident about in-store purchase experiences and aid positive sentiment towards the country as a whole,” said Ghosh.
Global leader in digital payments Visa yesterday expressed confidence in the recovery and growth of Sri Lanka as a market especially with improvement in tourist arrivals.
Visa identified tourism as a key sector that could spur revival and emphasized that increase in arrivals should be bolstered by safe and secure digital payments.
He said that businesses should be able to provide a variety of payment options as consumers are accustomed to, in their home countries – be it cards, tap and pay/contactless payments, QR code payments, online/ecommerce payments etc.
The ecosystem must invest in and enhance digital infrastructure. Smooth and secure payments go a long way in winning consumer trust, especially with tourists unfamiliar with Sri Lanka,he said, adding that such initiatives will make consumers confident about in-store purchase experiences and aid positive sentiment for the country.
