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Text of speech by Anura Bandaranaike, MP, Minister of Industries, Tourism, and Investment Promotion, in Milan, Italy, at a conference organised by the Government of Italy in aid of tsunami-affected countries.

Let me, at the outset, offer my sincere gratitude, to the Government of the republic of Italy, and very specially to the Hon. Gianfranco Fini, Deputy Prime Minister, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Republic of Italy, on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, and the Ministry of Tourism, for organizing this conference, as a most kind gesture towards the tsunami-affected countries in the South Asian region. In the same breath, let me convey my sincere thanks, for inviting a high level delegation from Sri Lanka, to attend this conference.

Sri Lanka has been devastated and gone through a horrendous experience, our people have never been through, before. None of us in the South Asian Region, would have ever thought that, the calm and placid sea, surrounding our countries, partially or fully, and benefiting our economies enormously, through shipping, fisheries and tourism-related industries, will rise furiously, to devastate our innocent citizens, along the sea beaches, in such alarming proportions.

The destruction is horrendous, gargantuan, and the effects of this catastrophe, on the citizens, both rich and poor, and on their livelihood, and the properties, including commercial buildings, resident houses, hotels and other basic infrastructure, was unimaginable.

In Sri Lanka, tsunami took more than 40,000 innocent lives.

However, it is a fact that the nature itself, has bestowed on the human beings, the courage and the will to fight back, during such calamities, defiantly.

Although the time taken to recover, is much longer than the time it takes for the destruction. We are taking the process of construction now. It will cost US$ 1.5 billion. The damage to the tourism plant, and its related infrastructure, ranging from hotels, water-sport establishments, shops and other tourist services, was originally estimated to be around US$ 200 million. But now the recent figures indicate that it would be around US$ 100-130 million, including loss of business, since December 26.

Out of the formally classified 13,767 rooms, ranging from 1-5 star category, 2,770 rooms have gone out of business, rendering 47 hotels to remain closed, partially or wholly. Nearly 10,000 persons, engaged in direct and indirect employment, in the tourism sector, have been made unemployed.

With the shock and the mental trauma, gradually fading away, as much as the rubble and the debris on the ground, our people engaged in the tourism sector, have briskly commenced putting up their plant and other structures, in anticipation of the recovery of the tourism business. The recovery is much faster than we earlier anticipated.

Thanks to their wonderful courage. The immediate relief measures, effected by our Government, was greatly assisted by the enormous foreign assistance we have received, from many of our friends abroad, along with the volunteer organizations.

The assistance received from foreign nations, was really the key, which enabled us to begin the restructuring of the post-tsunami era, and for that, we shall always be grateful. The timely, precautionary measures initiated by the health authorities and our talented doctors, who worked 24 hours daily, effectively arrested the possible post-tsunami epidemics in the affected areas, which, I believe, has had a strong impact, on the current upward trend, in the recovery process. Even in the structurally damaged, 47 hotels, partial operations will begin, towards the middle of the year.

As far as the tourism product is concerned, the affected areas along the East Coast, and the South and South Western Coast, of the country, account only for 8 to 10 percent of the total tourism business operations, which is a plus point for Sri Lanka tourism.

Since the emphasis was shifted from the traditional sun and beach tourism product, more towards archaeological, cultural, religious, nature and wellness tourism, starting from the latter part of the 1980s, a considerable amount of business operations, gradually moved away, from the beaches to the hill country, and to the archaeological heritage sites, in the North Central and the Eastern parts of the country.

As a result, despite the tsunami disaster, tourism activities in the rest of the country, remained intact, which even includes Colombo city hotels, which were mostly unaffected.

The Government and I, vigorously resolved, to extend a duty-free importation facility, for the affected hotels, to import material and equipment required for the reconstruction, and refurbishment, of their damaged plant and structures. A similar facility will be extended for the replacement of the lost and damaged vehicles, that belonged to them. This is vital as coming as a single package of services, a to reingour at tourism.

A soft loan package has been arranged, since most of the affected hoteliers had utilized their savings fully, for the refurbishment of their existing plant, in readiness of the heavy winter business, towards December and beyond, just before the tsunami catastrophe. We are presently studying the re-scheduling of existing loans to the industry, with a view to helping them get over this period. For the industry to bounce back with confidence, as of now, what is urgently required is, the reinforcing of the tourist arrivals to the country.

The indirect effects of the tsunami, are now badly felt by the industry, with a considerable number of cancellations of originally scheduled, tour programmes.

Sri Lanka Tourist Board has already stepped in to design the "Bounce back Sri Lanka" Marketing Campaign launched by Bareys ad firm to be launched in target markets, for resurgence of arrivals, which is only one! I will be closely observing the activities of Bareys, every step of the way.

I, personally believe, that the enormous publicity Sri Lanka received during the post-tsunami couple of weeks, through the international media, seems to have created a severe shock in the minds of the friends of Sri Lanka, and others scattered world-over, and I am also inclined to think, whether they have developed a guilt in their minds, not to bother our people, by visiting the country, at this miserable time. It is not so at all. They are welcome, as they always were.

In spite of that, let me assure every friend of Sri Lanka, that our tourism plant is now ready to accommodate most of them and their presence in the country can only energize the industry, to recover faster.

With that brief submission, I thank the Government of the Republic of Italy, for organizing this timely conference, specially the Deputy Prime Minister - Hon. Gianfranco Fini, Foreign Minister and the tourist industry of Italy, for focusing international opinion, once again, on this calamity. There could not have been a finer choice, than this beautiful land.

In this beautiful and historic country of Italy, there lies a magnificent city, called Venice, in which lived a money-lender named Shylock. In the 17th century, a remarkable tale of justice, comes from the city of Venice, where Portia appeals to the highest judicial body, for the life of a man, who loves:

The quality of mercy is not strained,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven,
Upon the place beneath;
It is twice blessed,
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes,
It is the mightiest in the mightiest;
It becomes the throne the Monarch better than his crown,
It is enthroned in the heart of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself

The words of William Shakespeare, from the "Merchant of Venice", is what we, in Sri Lanka, experienced from our friends abroad, during one of our darkest, saddest and turbulent periods.

It is in this context, that we see the goodwill, friendship and solidarity, we have received, in abundance, from around the globe, which has given our people hope, courage and the determination to re-build their shattered lives. To that end, the Government of Sri Lanka and our people, will do their utmost, with grit and courage.

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