Tourism looks after not less than 900,000 people - Ministry Secretary

Walter LIYANARACHCHI

Gearing up of massive awareness creations, learning inputs imparted to the community on ecotourism and addressing the issues affecting communities preventing them to enjoy the benefits from this industry are vital areas that policy makers' attention should be drawn to, Tourism Ministry Secretary George Michael said.

The Government attaches highest propriety for tourism to optimise reasonable economic benefits to locals. Tourism looks after a population of not less than 900,000 of which nearly 80 percent fall into the rural sector where communities mostly live and involve in tourism, he said.

He said so delivering the keynote presentation at the first ever Asia-Pacific Regional Ecotourism Conference (APREC) in Sri Lanka.

Tourism has been a highly respected global industry. It is confirmed to be the fastest growing largest industry.

Tourism generates to the world economy US $ 750 billions annually which employing 220 million which is seven percent of the total jobs available in the world today. However this year tourism growth will remain at zero levels. The only relief will be that unlike other industries, tourism is believed to be remarkably resilient, he said.

Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation President Palitha Gurusinghe said this conference focuses some of the outstanding issues yet to be discussed and to implement for the benefit of communities in the Asia-Pacific region.

"We had several conferences of this nature world over.

"At all those forums, we discussed about ecotourism, sustainable tourism, how to alleviate poverty through tourism, how to uplift the lifestyle of less-privileged and down-trodden communities through tourism business etc.

"It is our responsibility to utilise all the knowledge we have to enhance the growth of tourism in Sri Lanka," he said.