By: Staff Writer
March 07, Colombo (LNW): British Conservative peer Lord Michael Naseby on Tuesday called on the British government to assist Sri Lanka by updating Britain’s Travel Advisory on Sri Lanka to provide more accurate information, in order to better assist the country.
“It is the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) comments on that country (Sri Lanka) that currently cause me concern because they refer to the fact that protests are going on when they are not.
They say that there is a fuel shortage, but there is not and has not been for 18 months. They also say that there are other difficulties of a terrorist nature, which we have not had for five years,” Lord Naseby told the House of Lords that held a seven-hour debate on Britain’s Foreign Affairs.
Claiming that tourism sector is rapidly recovering in Sri Lanka, Lord Naseby believed that more British tourists would visit the country if the FCDO provided more accurate Travel Advisory information on Sri Lanka.
While commending the progress of the Sri Lanka’s own Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Lord Naseby highlighted the standard of those in Sri Lanka’s legal profession, as evidenced by his good friend, the late Sir Desmond De Silva, and said that ‘the quality of lawyers in Sri Lanka is second to none’. “
As it is set up, it will of course be across the ethnic groups—it has to be. There are people there who are thoroughly objective, he added.
The UK has relaxed its travel advisory on Sri Lanka giving a much needed big boost to the struggling tourism industry due to multiple crises.
The UK Government in its latest foreign travel advice said it no longer advises against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka. Pre-COVID UK was the second largest tourist source market for Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) expressed delight over the UK Government’s latest travel advisory update.
“With this positive news we hope several EU countries also will follow what others – France, Norway and Switzerland have already done by way of relaxing travel advisories,” SLAITO said.
“We will be participating at the World Travel Market in London which will also give us an opportunity to meet our tour operators and promote Sri Lanka,” SLAITO added.
It also said SLAITO members are thankful to the UK High Commission and Ambassador of France, Switzerland and Norway and Tourism Minister Harin Fernando for their unstinted support.
