The Hon. Amila Prasad

¶ 01 Until he speaks, not one here can raise a hand, however much you shout. You can shout. But you cannot firmly raise a hand and come. The message must come from that spiritual leader. That is the truth. No need for desk-thumping. If so, raise your hand then. If you cannot, I request that you do not keep dragging this story. Fine, then the situation is clear.

¶ 02 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, today we are discussing tourism. Tourism is one of the three main avenues that bring foreign exchange to this country. Tourism is directly and entirely linked to people’s lives. Unlike other industries, the money a tourist brings is not channeled into some closed circuit; it flows straight into society. Therefore, we believe tourism must be developed to the highest qualitative standard possible.

¶ 03 Since the Minister of Tourism is here, I make a request of the Government: if we are to take a bigger leap, introduce an app for every tourist entering Sri Lanka. That app is the factor that will drive the next leap in tourism. Why do I say that? Along with tourist arrivals, small issues arise. First, we cannot take the next leap without understanding tourists’ preferences and patterns. If we introduce an app, through it—via a QR code—we can see what they order, what they like to eat, where they want to go, everything. First, we can study their patterns. With an app or an online portal, we can identify from which countries tourists come and to which attractions they go.

¶ 04 Second, I saw the Controller of Immigration say that some tourists overstay beyond the permitted period. But if hotel check-ins and check-outs are recorded via the app and QR codes, once the permitted period ends, those tourists will be unable to check into any hotel. Next, if we use such a system, all establishments—villas, homestays, five-star hotels—that are not registered with the Tourism Board will, through the app, feed into a government database. Then the State can also earn a considerable amount of tax revenue. The possibilities are massive. This is not difficult. Just as we used a QR-code system for fuel, we can assign a QR-linked profile to every tourist.

¶ 05 Within the country, if we track all tourist sites visited and expenses via such a system, we can take a major leap at once. Since we speak of digitalization, I request the Government’s attention on this.

¶ 06 However, I looked at this Budget and I did not see funds allocated for such a major leap. Nowhere is there such a reference. If the Government had a vision, money should be allocated for such initiatives. Page 52—nowhere are funds allocated. That means you lack such foresight. Instead, you are introducing a licensing scheme for tourists. A licensing scheme for tourists is not something that should be done now. Last year, only about 2,900 people obtained the licences given to travel within this system. But, as the Hon. State Minister of Transport himself says, even in the off-season, about 100 tours go per day—that is at least 36,000–37,000 a year. Even if two million tourists arrive, not all two million tour the country. Some come for conferences, other work, business; only about 60–70 percent tour, often in groups of four, five, ten, fifteen. Trips amount to four or five hundred thousand per year. That spending flows through three groups: licensed tourist guides; driver-guides; and tourist drivers. If you give out these licences the way you plan, more than ten percent of the available jobs for tourist guides will disappear immediately.

¶ 07 The next impact: most tourists come through word-of-mouth or past visitors’ information. It is the private sector actors I mentioned who lifted this industry and created new destinations, ensuring tourists did not face difficulties. Due to your wrong decision, their jobs are turning upside down.

¶ 08 A similar scheme was tried in Thailand—issuing licences to tourists. In June this year, they decided to restrict it again, as it brought poorer tourists instead of higher-spending mid and upper segments; numbers rose but revenue fell. The Government targeted three million tourists this year, but we will not reach it; to date only about two million have arrived.

¶ 09 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, I will conclude in one minute.

¶ 10 Even if by this month we reach around 2.4 million arrivals, your targets have not been met. That shows the measures taken this year have not brought successful results. Instead, poorer tourists feed street animals along the roads; tourism is failing.