Triumphal march of President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Dr. MATHU H. LIYANAGE
The triumphal march of President Mahinda Rajapaksa into the second
term of office would turn the world-renowned tear-shaped, glittering
Pearl of the East to a dazzling, priceless diamond, ridden of the ashes
of 30-year old terrorism and guerilla warfare, polished and mounted on
the pinnacle of a colossal, non-collapsible pillar of peace, serenity
and unity, radiating beams of varied colours to different parts of the
globe. It will, as a beacon, show the way for holidaymakers to visit the
enchanting Sri Lanka now baked in peace, tranquility and engrossed in
vast strides of development.
Ancient attractions
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Even better times ahead after victory for people. File photo |
There is no doubt that visitors from overseas countries, who were so
far attracted to the island by the glamour of its ancient attractions
like Buddhist Viharas, huge Dagabas, monumental statues carved on and
made of granite, the Christian churches and cathedrals, Hindu kovils,
breath-taking landscapes, waterfalls, sandy beaches and carpet-like tea
plantations in the cooling Central Highlands, would certainly flock to
see Jaffna, Trincomalee and Batticaloa in the North and Eastern
provinces.
These provinces were freed from the iron-grip of terrorists by the
heroic Armed Forces and are now being rapidly developed to provide
amenities and facilities for tourists to enjoy the exotic beauty spots
in these regions, which were out of reach even for the local community
for the last 30 years - the hidden treasures of Sri Lanka.
It is interesting to note that Kalkudah and Pasikudah in the East are
to be developed as ‘resort cities’ with star class hotels, parks and
other tourist attractions.
Even today holidaymakers flock to Nilaveli and Pasikudah beaches and
to Arugam Bay globally renowned for its international surfing
championship meet held annually.
Transport services
Government’s development program Negenahira Navodaya (Eastern
Awakening) has given priority to investment in road infrastructure
including modern bridges and to effect necessary improvements to ferry
services to cut down on time.
It is, however, essential to step up more efficient and quicker
transport services - road, train and air - to and within the region to
meet the on-rush of visitors to holiday resorts in the East.
These improvements will not only help satisfy packs of back-packers,
who are now a more regular and dependable category of tourists to
countries all over the world but also to ease the problem of
transporting of food and other tourism-related products at a cheaper
price and to avoid shortages as well.
Where the North is concerned, the opening of the Vavuniya-Jaffna main
road (A 9) to vehicular traffic without any restrictions has made
possible the long-desired connection between the North and the South
after three decades.
There is no doubt that it will increase the number of visitors and
overseas tourists to Jaffna who are keen to have a glimpse of the
remnants of destruction caused by the civil war and to see for
themselves the various programs of development undertaken to bring back
the region to normalcy.
The completion of the rail track from Vavuniya to Jaffna with the
least possible delay will further strengthen the link between the North
and the South.
The approval of the World Bank recently of US$ 20 million under its
Provincial Roads Project to rebuild about 100 kms of provincial roads
and other road infrastructure in selected prioritized areas would boost
the development of the North further.
Tourist attractions
The government has already launched a massive project to develop
tourist attractions in the Jaffna peninsula, which was cut off from
visitors for over three decades, as was the case in the East.
The Jaffna Lagoon is a natural scenic beauty facing the Jaffna Fort
built by the Dutch. Sun-showered Chavakachcheri and its beaches, which
allured Western sunbathers in the past, may entice tourists in greater
numbers.
Tourism has become a foremost industry in every country - developing
or developed - and Sri Lanka is no exception.
Tourism today is big business because of its economic significance in
terms of its:
* contribution, both directly and indirectly, to the total value of
goods and services that enter into the economy,
* capacity to earn hard foreign exchange through the sale of goods
and services to visitors from overseas, and
* ability to create jobs to meet the increased demand for goods and
services.
Tourism is really an activity that takes place in many industrial
sectors particularly in accommodation, hotels, restaurants and cafes, in
retail trade, transport and personal services than in any other single
industry.
It is interesting to note that there has been a surprising change
over the past decades in the traditional order of foreign exchange
earners.
Foreign exchange
In 1998, the garment industry topped the scale with foreign exchange
earnings of Rs 159.3 billion; remittances from workers employed in
overseas countries amounted to Rs 64 billion; and tea exports brought in
foreign exchange equivalent to Rs 50.3 billion.
Tourism was lagging behind mainly because of the civil war as many
tourists kept away from Sri Lanka for security reasons. In 2008 however,
foreign exchange earnings from tourism accounted for Rs 37 billion,
becoming the fourth foreign exchange earner after garments, overseas
worker remittances and tea exports. Besides, tourism provided employment
to nearly 127,000 persons during the year.
With the proposed development projects in the North and the East to
attract tourists coupled with peace, serenity and unity prevalent in the
country, there is no doubt that, with the renewed vigour and full
confidence bestowed on President Mahinda Rajapaksa by the people, Sri
Lanka will soon become prosperous and plentiful and emerge as the
‘Wonder of Asia’, ensuring a ‘Brighter future’, as the title of the
14-point program outlined in his election manifesto before the historic
election of January 26 reveals. |
