Sustainable Tourism

Sri Lanka wants to attract tourists and is keen to offer a safe and hospitable environment. But it is not desperate to open the country too soon to anyone and everyone. 

As a small nation we have restraints. But at the same time it does not want to experience the distress of being both victim and agent of infection,especially if as anticipated a second wave of the Coronavirus, is under consideration by Health Authorities around the world.It has to think what is best in the interests of its people and for its future economy.

A shortsighted policy without due diligence, or following the current scientific advice is not in the best interest of the nation. 

After the nightmare where we see cruises have become a symbol of ravage that the pandemic has inflicted on tourism, caution is the necessary watchword.

It is well known that the worldwide cruise sector of the tourist industry until January 2020 was worth $150 billion,by its own estimate it is now shedding jobs,issuing debt and discounting furiously simply to survive.

Tourism an unusual industry 

In the present climate we are told tourism is unusual in that the assets it monetises which may be summed up - a different perspective of sun,sea and sand,a view of a pristine archaeology, a holiday relaxation for herbal and holistic ayurvedic treatments, a view of wildlife, a reef with a scenic view of whales as well as corals, does not belong to the tourist trade but is on trust to the nation. 

No Tourist Agency/Operator, no dominant Cruise company, no tourist for that matter, pays for the upkeep of the archaeological heritage of the country or for the enjoyment of the beauty of the landscape. Up to now, the tourist industry lives off it. 

In the case of Cruise Tourism, companies like Carnival, MSC, other lines pay little  or no overseas tax as they are registered under "flags of convenience" in Panama,Liberia or Bermuda and are exempt of local tax regime. These companies and the cruise industry get to enjoy not only low taxes and avoid much of the irksome health regulations because of their flag registration. However, they use all the port and other facility infrastructure, the country location, or its salubrious climate, its coastal beaches, its monuments, its archaeological sites and other facilities for its passengers and crew, at the expense of the country bearing the burden of  maintenance cost and other expense.These tourist carriers may also be polluting the air and sea,eroding coast lines of nations,pouring tens of millions of profit, exporting people into picturesque ports of call, that cannot cope with the extra contingent of tourists. 

What goes for cruises,may also go for most of the travel industry, whether it is air or sea travel. Over time these carriers of tourists, have not contributed to a tax on the use of the tourist destination.

It has been a one way street for these tour operators,who have got away with little or nothing for the maintenance of the scenic or archaeological heritage by providing the tourists they bring,with all the amenities including health and welfare. 

A small number of environmentally minded reformists have tried to develop sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka that creates enduring employment while minimising the damage it does. No one until the Coronavirus pandemic have estimated the cost of providing a service to tourists, which was completely closed down during the "lockdown". The Government had to bear the costs. It is high time that this cost is recovered from the Tourist industry.

The Cost of Tourism

In new developing countries like Sri Lanka,most hotel groups,Tour operators and even National Tourism authorities have all the time until now,continued to prioritise the economies of scale that inevitably lead to more and more tourists being attracted,paying less and less money to enjoy their holidays. No one has quantified the cost,all the time heaping more pressure on the assets of the nation which have hardly been maintained to the standard they deserve,or for the benefit of generations to come.

The virus has given a new impetus,at once both frightening and beautiful of a world with sustainable tourism.                        

The virus has also revealed the danger of reliance on tourism,on overseas employment to sustain some of the economy, of not taking all the action until now to control the drug menace and the mafia.

It has demonstrated in brutal fashion what happens when a country is solely relying on outside sources to support and deliver a standard of living and an economy of an entire country. This reliance has to be addressed if our future generations are to survive.

Will Tourist taxes solve the problem?

The short answer is no, not without addressing the core problem,which is sustainability.

More tourists doesn't mean "better" and responsible tourism.

Mass tourism is on the rise. Tourist taxes are not new. Bhutan,in the Himalayas, has a longstanding policy of charging visitors a daily fee. Japan and Greece are among the countries to have recently introduced "tourist taxes". 

Asking tourists to make a financial contribution to the places they visit should be part of a cultural shift, as the social cost of tourism has been ignored.

In short, we need to put a stop to this and need to levy a Sustainable Tourism Tax on all visitors to our scenic island.

Victor Cherubim