DESTINATIONS SRI LANKA | INDIAN OCEAN
Greenshoots t
There’s never been a more important time to sell Sri Lanka, finds Katie McGonagle
he train trundled noisily along the edge of a huge, sweeping valley, its constant thrum at odds with the peaceful, bucolic scene unfolding below us. Undulating knolls carpeted in shades of bright, grassy green; impeccably neat rows of tea plants rising and falling with the contours of the hillsides below; wisps of cloud burning off as the sun rose in the sky; and the occasional flash of scarlet or turquoise as sari-clad women out picking leaves by hand bobbed their heads up to watch the train go by. Travelling through the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country
from Nuwara Eliya to Kandy, we passed plateaus peppered with tiny workers’ homes, tuk-tuks parked outside and clothes spread out to dry on corrugated iron roofs. We saw kids waving enthusiastically as the train rushed past, while the local children next to me in the carriage waved back with just as much excitement. And we heard the constant refrain of “popcorn, peanuts” from the snack sellers hoisting baskets of food from window to window each time we pulled into a station. It’s a reminder of just how many people rely on tourism for their income here – not just the porters, waiters and driver-guides that travellers might think to tip, but all those who are involved, either directly or indirectly, in the tourism economy. That income has dropped dramatically since the
terrorist bombings on Easter Sunday and the subsequent Foreign Office ban on travel – with UK visitor numbers down 68% in May and 64% in June – and despite the travel advisory being lifted on June 6, six weeks after it was imposed, tourism has been slow to recover. Prior to the attacks, the UK was Sri Lanka’s second- biggest market and by far its most valuable in terms of
Sri Lanka has just as much to
attract visitors as it did before the attacks – verdant scenery, golden beaches, history and wildlife
revenue, with tourism the country’s third-biggest industry, worth $4.4 billion a year. With trade bookings trickling back in and hotels starting to welcome guests once again, we went to Sri Lanka with specialist operator Travel Gallery to see the situation for ourselves.
ESCAPE THE CROWDS Sri Lanka has just as much to attract visitors as it did before the Easter attacks – its verdant scenery, golden- sand beaches, historical landmarks and world-class
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travelweekly.co.uk 8 AUGUST 2019 53
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