IIFA and Sri Lanka Tourism

Ruwini Jayawardana

Though IIFA 2010 kept the fans enthralled and drew massive media coverage, the treatment given to local journalists by the main organisers – Sri Lanka Tourism Board leaves much to be desired. Journalists were given step motherly treatment by those handling the Public Relations department at Sri Lanka Tourism.

Some of the local journalists were compelled to chase after Tourism Board officials to obtain invitations to the IIFA Awards night, the main event of the IIFA line up.

The Tourist Board kept conveniently passing the buck to the Indian officials who were issuing invitations for the foreign media while the former kept requesting the local journalists to contact the Sri Lanka Tourism officials to obtain invitations since they did not know the names of those representing the newspapers. This ‘game’ of going back and forth went on till afternoon even during the Green Carpet event, minutes before the awards ceremony was supposed to take off on Saturday.

Funnily enough some of those in the local media who did manage to obtain their invitation early told the Daily News that passes were issued at the entrance to the door of the final event which concluded the Videocon IIFA Weekend by the Indian officials. Some even managed to get more than one invitation while others got none because the officials claimed that they had ‘run out of invitations’.

When the writer spoke to the Indian officials their stand was that each newspaper will be getting an invitation each to cover the event while those in the Tourist Board claimed that a select few had been chosen to cover the awards ceremony though they expect publicity from all the papers, with or without invitations. The entire local media had indeed given immense coverage to the event as it was an event of national importance. Media coverage is not for personal gain but for the benefit of the nation.

It was only after this writer pointed out that she was the only representative of Daily News and that her newspaper would not be able to cover the event without getting the details, the officials managed to conjure an invitation.

On another occasion when the writer needed information on June 4 regarding the final preparations of the awards festival, the officials promised to send an e mail.

They had to be reminded more than five times to send the information but we are yet to receive those details. Either all these mishaps were due to their disorganization or lack of regard for local journalists whom they must imagine will dance to their tune no matter what treatment will be bestowed upon them or both the reasons stated above.

When the Daily News printed a supplement to mark the IIFA awards the editor had to contact the Tourist Board officials several times to get the messages from President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Economic Development Deputy Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana and Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabral. Various excuses were given in failing to send the messages and finally it was not till ANCL Chairman Bandula Padmakumara informed Minister Basil Rajapaksa that the messages reached our e mail.

This is not the first time that the Tourist Board had ill-treated the local media. Similar situations have occurred in the past where the Tourist Board had cold shouldered local media personnel after inviting them to give publicity to events which will benefit the sector.

The media attended such events because they consider it a duty to contribute towards building the image of Sri Lanka as a tourist destination but this does not permit the officials the right to kick them around. We hope for strong action against this bunch of loonies dealing with the media to take Sri Lanka to a higher standard as a tourist destination.