www.register.sltda.gov.lk which
provides live updates on COVID-19, essential travel information and assistance.
“COVID-19
was a severe blow to the Tourism industry which was still recovering after the
Easter Sunday attacks last April. On the 12th of March when the World Health
Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic, there were 76,224 foreign
travellers in Sri Lanka.
Immediately,
a 24/7 call center was set up to assist tourists and with transportation issues
in times of curfew, outbound flight tickets were allowed to be used as curfew
passes to reach the airport. Sri Lanka Tourism is also liaising with the
Foreign Ministry, embassies, airport authorities and airlines to facilitate
safe departures” Sri Lanka Tourism Chairperson, Kimarli Fernando
said.
She
further said there was no mechanism of tracking tourists in Sri Lanka apart
from the immigration system which provides basic information of travellers and
this registration will allow Sri Lanka Tourism to reach out and provide
assistance during emergencies such as the COVID-19 outbreak and in the long
term, this will also serve as a database of visiting International Tourists,
Businessmen and Expatriates in Sri Lanka.
Sri
Lanka Tourism reached out to ICTA to support and under their leadership the
website was developed by TekGeeks (Pvt) Ltd – An IOM Sri Lanka funded Software
Services Provider based in Sri Lanka specializing in software engineering,
digital marketing and creative services.
