-By Sampath Dillimuni
(Lanka-e-News -02.Oct.2024, 11.10 pm) The WTM (World Travel Market) London exhibition held in the UK is one of the world’s largest tourism events. In the previous year, during Ranil Rajapaksa's government, Harin Fernando, a controversial minister facing public criticism on social media, along with several officials supposedly involved in the tourism sector, spent a large amount of public funds to attend the event in the UK. Additionally, Malsha Kumara, who is publicly rumored to be Harin Fernando's partner, also participated in the event, though it’s unclear who covered her expenses. However, officials at the Sri Lankan High Commission in the UK confirmed her attendance alongside Harin Fernando.
Each year, Sri Lanka allocates millions in public funds to participate in the WTM London event held in November, with the primary goal of promoting Sri Lanka as a top tourist destination in the global tourism market. However, institutional boundaries are ignored as corrupt and negligent Sri Lankan officials participate, prioritizing personal enjoyment and benefits over the country's interests. These participants, including ministers, use the opportunity to visit the UK for leisure, tour around, and indulge at the state’s expense, facilitated by the Sri Lankan High Commission in London, which also provides transportation for the ministers and officials attending the event.
The cost of attending these events, including renting exhibition space, promotional activities, accommodations, travel, and transportation for ministers and officials, is funded heavily by public money. Reports indicate that in recent years, the expenses have amounted to tens of millions of rupees. For example, last year, it is reported that around £100,000 (approximately 40 million LKR) was spent, mostly covered by the High Commission, although the real cost might be double that. Harin Fernando and Malsha Kumara stayed at the luxurious DoubleTree by Hilton London Excel hotel near the event venue, while other officials also stayed in similar luxury accommodations.
The Sri Lankan High Commission in the UK, instead of focusing on tourism promotion or providing essential consular services, seems to function more as a travel agency for ministers, facilitating their visits. The services provided by the High Commission are reportedly far inferior to those of a local Sri Lankan administrative office.
Despite these substantial expenditures, it remains unclear what tangible benefits Sri Lanka has gained from attending the WTM. There are no follow-up reports on whether the event led to an increase in foreign investors or tourists visiting Sri Lanka. In a country where children struggle to afford basic food items like eggs or yogurt, the use of vast public funds for such events without concrete outcomes raises serious concerns.
The Sri Lankan government has not conducted any post-event evaluations to assess the impact of these promotional activities. Notably, no significant growth in the tourism sector has been observed following these events. The High Commission also lacks data on the number of tourists attracted from the UK as a result of WTM participation.
Experts suggest that attending international exhibitions like WTM should be done with fiscal responsibility and efficient management. Rather than sending large, non-productive delegations, a smaller, more effective team could achieve better outcomes. It's the duty of the new Tourism Minister and President Anura Dissanayake to ensure that Sri Lanka gains real value from such events in the future, rather than allowing them to become merely traditional expenditures.
Instead of adhering to the ritual of attending these events year after year, perhaps it would be wiser to invest the funds in developing a tourist attraction in Sri Lanka. Lanka e-News highlights the importance of careful planning and the need for accountability in how public funds are spent on promotional events like WTM.
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by (2024-10-02 19:06:37)
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