President Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka proposes designating BIMSTEC Area as a “region of borderless tourism”

To take use of the enormous potential that the seven nations that make up BIMSTEC have to offer, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed turning the region into a “borderless tourism” zone.

Wickremesinghe discussed the island nation’s recovery since the unheard-of economic crisis last year while speaking at the opening ceremony of the 67th annual convention of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), one of India’s oldest travel-related associations.

India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan make up the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), a regional alliance.

 

“We are working to innovate the tourist industry and maximize its potential. The debt restructuring process is underway as we emerge from bankruptcy in Sri Lanka, said Wickremesinghe, who also serves as the country’s finance minister, on Thursday during the TAAI convention’s opening ceremony.

 

‘Transcending Borders, Transforming Lives’ is the focus of the four-day TAAI conference.

 

“We still need to keep in mind that the trade balance is not in our favor. Therefore, we must secure a favorable trade balance in the future, he stated.

 

And tourism is one method of generating money without incurring debt. So take full use of it, he said.

 

Wickremesinghe also discussed a number of government-planned initiatives, such as seven golf courses and more resorts, that would hasten Sri Lanka’s recovery from the 2022 crisis. According to him, several regulations will be modified to take into account the ambitions for the tourist industry.

 

Sri Lanka had its biggest economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948 in April 2022. This crisis was brought on by currency shortages that led to widespread public outcry.

 

Mid-July of last year saw the overthrow of the then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa after months of mass demonstrations.

 

He predicted that in the next ten years, people’s per capita incomes would rise and they will travel more.

 

You want to transcend boundaries, so why not create the whole BIMSTEC region a one borderless tourist (region)?, he said.

 

According to the president, it is “one tourist area” for everyone coming from outside whether they are Sri Lankans traveling to India or Indians traveling to Bangladesh.

 

“You’ll have a new industry in ten years. Therefore, we would also need to plan our connection, Wickremesinghe said, adding, “My suggestion is that BIMSTEC should be one large tourism region. Why do we not start BIMSTEC? Why don’t we take a cruise in the Bay of Bengal?

 

Numerous other dignitaries, including Gopal Bagley, the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Harin Fernando, the Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation, Nimal Siripala De Silva, and Chalaka Gajabahu, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), attended the opening ceremony.

 

Later, De Silva said Wickremesinghe’s suggestion would increase tourism in the BIMSTEC area.

 

Speaking to the crowd, Bagley said that beginning on July 16, daily flights between Chennai, India, and Jaffna, Sri Lanka, would be accessible, as announced by Alliance Air.

 

He also emphasized the similarities in history and culture between Sri Lanka and India, referring to them as “civilizational twins.”

 

Sri Lankan performers put up a number of stunning performances during the convention’s opening ceremony.

 

By strengthening Sri Lanka’s status as one of the most popular vacation destinations, the TAAI Convention will be a fantastic chance to advertise Sri Lanka and further expand the Indian market for an all-year destination.

 

The largest markets for tourism in Sri Lanka are the United Kingdom, India, and China, accounting for around 5% of the country’s GDP.

 

According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), there was a noticeable rise in foreign tourist arrivals to the nation in 2022, with 719,978 visitors reported for the year, a 270.2% increase compared to the 194,495 tourists that arrived in 2021.