Exactly about a year ago, Sri Lankan cricketing legend Sanath Jayasuriya rallied behind protestors who stormed the presidential palace to demand the resignation of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the middle of the country’s worst financial crisis since Independence in 1948. The siege is over. Your bastion has fallen, the former captain had roared. Shortly afterwards in August, the most recognisable face of Sri Lankan cricket started a new innings as the ambassador of tourism. At the recently held 67th Convention of TAAI (Travel Agents Association of India) in Colombo from 6 to 8 July, hosted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), he spoke to Sneha Bhura about why Indian travellers should head for Sri Lanka.
Tourist inflow numbers are on the upswing in Sri Lanka, and you are prepping up for multiple roadshows across India and elsewhere to keep the momentum going. Will 2023 be a turning point for Sri Lankan tourism?
We went through a very difficult time last year. Now since we have embarked on the road to recovery, tourism is key in that That is why everyone here, from the ministry to the hoteliers are trying their best to the clock back this year.
The Sri Lankan tourism ministry has unveiled plans to attract Indian travellers. The use of Indian currency will be officially accepted. Connectivity is key from building railroads to ocean-liners and amping up people-to-people contact. As the tourism ambassador, what are the initiatives you are most excited about?
The President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s speech the other day at the 67th Convention of TAAI at Colombo gave a clear-cut expression of what the country hopes to achieve. We have several cultural and religious places which Indian travellers can easily connect to. From the rolling tea plantations of Nuwara Eliya to the beaches of Negombo, different terrains and geographies are easily accessible from Colombo in a few hours. It’s a very big, unique island. You can do everything here. Indians and Sri Lankans are both warm and hospitable people and they have more commonalities than differences. Several of our visitors from India are repeat travellers, in fact.
What is the progress in activating the Ramayana trail since this was something you emphasised last year too?
The Ramayana trail is very important. Some 52 places have been identified here. We have been working towards it. Very soon, I will be personally going to those areas. And I will do a lot of work to promote those places, especially to attract Indian tourists who can also visit other countries like Maldives and Nepalh o follow the trail of the ancient epic.
You recently invited Malayalam superstar Mammoot come to shoot at Kandy in Sri Lanka. Are there plans invite filmmakers and actors from Bollywood too? A any movie-making policies being devised to help tourism?
You are 100% spot on. Because that’s a very important industry, and we would like a lot of Hindi movies to be sho here. It’s a big thing for Sri Lanka too. And we are working with the tourism ministry to make these collaborations happen.
Do you have plans to combine cricket and tourism? That has been happening via several company off-sites.
Corporate events have been held by big Indian companies where they bring their office staff and play some cricket too I think Sri Lanka is a lovely place to come with your office staff, hold conferences, and play a cricket match while at it.
What do you miss about your cricketing days
Well, I don’t miss much. Last year I was involved with the protest against the previous government. But I don’t get involved with politics at all. And I always say that was a mistake. Other than that, nothing much. I represent a country where the people want to live a good life. They’re working hard, and are now moving in the right direction. As a country, we want to prosper with tourism. We want to make our tea the number one in the world. I think Sri Lanka is a lovely place to come with your office staff, hold conferences and play a cricket match while at it.
Sri Lanka Travel Feneteko