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The government of Japan agrees to explore the possibility of identifying Sri Lanka as a country safe and suitable for Japanese tourists. This matter was taken up at a discussion Lal Dharmapriya Gamage, Minister Assisting Foreign Affairs had with Tetsuro Yano the Japanese Senior Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, during this official visit to Japan recently. At present Japan has listed Sri Lanka in the second list of risky countries unsuitable for foreign tourists. According to this grouping certain areas in Sri Lanka fall into the first group, states a media communique by the Minister Assisting Foreign Affairs.

During this visit Lal Dharmapriya Gamage addressed himself to making use of the historic, cultural and Buddhist linkage between Sri Lanka and Japan for the development of tourism. Karunatilleka Amunugama, the Sri Lanka Ambassador in Japan and his staff will undertake a suitable programme for this purpose on the instructions of the Assisting Minister.

Several rounds of preliminary discussions were held at the Embassy and in Osaka headed by the Minister Gamage. The discussions at the Embassy were well attended by heads of Airlines including the SriLankan Airlines, representatives of tourist industry, heads of Ceylon Tourist Board and the Japanese Tourist Institute, and members of the Executive Committee of the Japan Business Council. In addition the Minister Lal Gamage had a special discussion with leading Sri Lankan Buddhist priests living in Japan and attended a special conference arranged in Osaka by Nelson Vitanage, Honorary Consult in Osaka. This conference was attended by over 80 persons including Chief Priests of Buddhist temples in Japan and representatives of tourist industry.

Informed sources state that this conference had an attendance ever recorded at a conference of this nature. Lal Gamage states that the implementation of this arrangement would draw a large number of groups of Buddhist and Cultural Tourists to Sri Lanka and instructed the Embassy officials to plan proper modalities and give effect to this programme.

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