Taste of paradise

The arrival of the first batch 1200 Iranian tourists in Sri Lanka the other day it is hoped would open the doors for similar visits from the Asian region, an area which we have been neglecting for so long, vis-a`-vis development of the local tourist industry.

It is perhaps for this reason that President Mahinda Rajapaksa on his recent visit to Teheran had dwelt on the topic and if the prompt results achieved is any indication we might see more and more tourist arrivals from countries whose potential had never figured in the equation of our tourism planners.

It is too early to say if the trend will continue. But going by the recent influx of unprecedented tourist traffic from the Asian region the potential exists for Sri Lanka before long to acquire a reputation as a popular tourist destination for Easterners as well. This could lead to a marked shift in the emphasis in the country's niche market for tourism which had been largely concerned with our Western clientele.

The heavy influx of Asian tourists may also provide a refreshing change in the country's tourist landscape hitherto dominated by the vision of white skinned sun bathers lacing themselves on our sunny beaches while also sightseeing in salubrious climes. The latest shift in the emphasis of tourism from the these stereotypes has also opened avenues for huge potential which could vastly attract the Asian traveller.

Today the tourism in general is not only about beaches and mountains.

It has progressed to embrace new vistas such as eco tourism cultural tourism and other diverse frontiers. While it may be true that western tourists being in the shekel and is the mainstay of the industry, the new dimension of tourism should open the eyes of the Tourist Board to exploit the shift to the maximum so that the Asian tourist too will fit into the equation.

We should set our sights more and more towards the East now that Asians too are getting a taste of paradise...

The exercise could also have it's many fallout benefits chief of which is the promotion of common interaction among peoples sharing similar cultural identities not to mention the vast potential for foreign exchange earnings that the massive Asian market would open up.

There would also be the opportunity for shared experiences in the development of the Industry with many Asian investors putting their money in the local tourism industry.

It is hoped that the new rail link that is being proposed by India to connect some 27 countries in the Asian region would open itself up to the vast tourist potential in the region that would bring several countries into a single orbit sharing common interests and experiences.

The upcoming SAARC summit in Colombo it is hoped would lay more emphasis on this topic that could see more and more Asian tourist traffic into Sri Lanka which apart from it's economic implications could also provide the ideal springboard to bring a people sharing identical cultures and ideologies together while promoting peace in the region.

Cheaper fish - the priority

The move to introduce modern technology for deep sea fishing for our local fishermen, announced recently by Fisheries Minister Felix Perera, it is hoped will be implemented this time around with purpose.

We say this because such grandiose proclamations had been made in the past by all Fisheries Ministers but no tangible result have ever come out of these promises.

Today the price of fish is beyond the purse of the average consumer and is escalating each day. This, while depriving the population one of it's staples is depriving them of a rich source of protein which may add to our malnutrition statistics.

Modern techniques no doubt will quadruple the present ocean catch which in turn will lead to reduced prices.

Therefore the Minister should take steps to expedite his plan. It is a sad indictment on Sri Lanka a country surrounded by the ocean to be engaged in importing canned fish which ironically is harvested from our own waters by poaching foreign trawlers using the same modern technology the Minister wants to introduce.

True, the present security situation has restricted fishing to a large extent which too has resulted in low production and soaring prices. The steeping fuel prices have also exacerbated the problem. It appears that the fuel subsidy granted to fishermen hardly has had any impact on fish prices.

The Minister should ensure that there is dichotomy between the modern fishing methods he plans to introduce with fish prices if the consumers are to benefit from the exercise.

While the Minister is no doubt obliged to look into the welfare of the fishermen and provide them all the necessary concessions and facilities his primary task should be to provide fish at an affordable price to the consumer.