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| Wednesday, 4 February 2004 |
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Posers for the Tourist Board Sometime back the Tourist Board in several full page advertisements called the general public for their views and comments, on the subject of "National Eco Tourism". Now the World Tourist Day has come and gone on the 27th of September and I thought it was appropriate to bring to the attention of the Tourist Board inter alia the section on "principles" which reads - "encourage travel in the spirit of humility, respect and learning about local hosts, their culture and the natural environment." One cannot see how the Tourist Board and other connected bodies such as the Department of Archaeology whose business is to encourage tourists to see this paradise isle and its cultural treasures, when at the same time they charge unconscionable rates from tourists as against locals. The tourists are charged astronomically high rates (1000%) vis-a-vis the local visitor visiting the Cultural Triangle, the National Parks, Museums etc. which this reader quite rightly labels as apartheid. Having travelled in many countries in Europe, USA, UK, Japan and in many S. E. Asian countries I found that all foreign tourists are charged the same as locals not only in National Parks, Museums etc. but even in hotels, motels and tourist lodges (India). Though they knew I was a foreigner as my passport showed nowhere did they slam a special rate. However one finds that in Sri Lanka the charge appears to based on the whim of some insensitive panjandrum in his air-conditioned office in Colombo. Those obviously looking foreign, Caucasian (white skinned) African (black skinned) Japanese, Chinese (yellow skinned) at "tourist" rate. If one is (Indian) his brown skin may save him from this unconscionable extortion. I find that tourists are offended and resent this two tier system. They say that they could appreciate that in a Third World country, a higher charge, a more reasonable one, could be made on them, for the maintenance of these institutions. Tourists grumble and resent this apartheid. When it comes to foreign tourists, for instance, a tourist is charged $32 for a round trip in the Cultural Triangle, while the locals are charged Rs. 20 ($2.5). If tourists do not take the round trip they are charged $15 per site. I found another absurdity in Polonnaruwa. Each time during the day if one went out and re-entered the cultural sites, you are charged an entry fee. One of our party was feeling unwell so all decided to come back in the late afternoon. We insisted that we had been there in the morning a few hours earlier and had returned to the hotel because one of the party had to answer a call of nature. But the officials at the entrance very rudely said, "these are the rules." ($15 for foreigners and Rs. 20 for locals). So all of us decided to call it off, and my daughter-in-law, who is an American and my two grandchildren missed seeing the grandeur of Polonnaruwa because of this absurd rule. The Archaeological Department should provide a day ticket for all visitors. Adding insult to injury the TB officials charged my two grandchildren the tourist fare. It was not unreasonable to charge my daughter-in-law the tourist rate. But they insisted that the tourist rate be charged on my grandchildren, in spite of my son showing his Sri Lankan passport, pleading that they were his children. Here was a man who did not change his nationality in twenty five years and was happy to be a Sri Lankan. He naturally was hurt by the rude attitude, of take it or leave it, of an underling of the Archaeology Department. My son could easily have cheated the authorities by sending his wife separately, as an obviously looking foreigner, paying the higher price for her ticket but taking the children along with him, thus cheating the Tourist Board. A similar thing happened to another Sri Lankan lady friend who is married to a West Indian. He is dark in complexion has crinkly hair, obviously looking a black and foreign. His children too looked like the father. She faced the same problem as in the case referred to earlier. Here again she said it was unfair and refused to give into this stupid boorishness of the park wardens and Archaeological officials. Is this "encouraging travel in the spirit of humility and learning."? It is bad enough that this kind of apartheid is being imposed by the TB to charge exorbitant rates for foreigners but they add insult to injury by imposing such rates on the children and spouses of Sri Lankan citizens. The rule should be changed to give some latitude to such persons, who remain to the loyal of their birth. What do the tourists get in return after being fleeced at 1000%. No cheap lodging rooms, no rest rooms, even if there are any, they have unattended with filthy toilets. No pure drinking water, all of which are basic amenities to tourists both foreign and local. I hope that the Travel Agents' Association and human rights organisations will take these matters with the Minister of Tourism to upgrade tourism. I think it is worthwhile that some tourist officials be sent to beach resorts and archaeological sites in India and Asia not only to see how to see how these places work but to teach them manners! - Amaradasa Fernando |
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