• Strict health protocols vital to ensure the safety of international travellers and citizens when the Airport reopens

The reopening of the airport for international travellers is set to be further delayed due to the appointment of a new committee to again review the Airport opening protocol, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority said.

"A detailed Airport opening protocol has been developed in the last several months and presented to the  Minister of Health. Another Committee has been appointed on Monday (07) to again review the protocol, which we are made to understand will further delay the Airport opening," SLTDA said in press release issued on Monday (07).

“This is a global health pandemic and we are guided by the Health Officials. Diluting the health protocols would compromise the safety of international travellers and citizens when the Airport reopens. Unless the Ministry of Health gives us the approval to relax the health and safety protocols, we are unable to do so. Meanwhile, we will continue to support our stakeholders to ensure the safety of all and reach out to support you to thrive in the new normal that we face at this time” Sri Lanka Tourism Chairperson Kimarli Fernando said.

As COVID-19 is a Health Pandemic affecting most Nations and Sri Lanka, there need to be strict health protocols to ensure the safety of not only Sri  Lankan citizens but also international travellers. For this purpose, Sri Lanka Tourism published the Health Protocol for the tourism sector in June 2020 based on global best practices, giving ample time for the industry to be familiar with the guidelines.

Sri Lanka Tourism was one of the first in the Asian region to prepare and issue a comprehensive COVID-19 Health Protocol for the Industry which was developed and issued with the support of the Ministry of Health, the UN World Health Organization and the input of the industry.

Currently, over 92 establishments; accommodation providers and tour operators have been awarded the Safe & Secure Certification to service & accommodate international tourist for the first 14 days. "We continue to audit and award certifications," it said.

Sri Lanka received the Safe Travel Stamp from World Travel & Tourism Council, reflective of the sound protocol implemented by Sri Lanka Tourism. This includes the independent Auditing firm KPMG inspecting the ‘Safe and Secure Certification’ that provides Global Travellers with the comfort and confidence that Sri Lanka has taken all necessary steps to ensure safety.

The audits are conducted free of charge for the first-time certification where the costs are being borne by SLTDA. Auditing and certification are stringent as they should be to ensure high health and safety standards, in line with other countries in the region. Considering the nature of the virus as compromises can be dangerous.

Certification includes a QR code that will permit guests to provide feedback on the health & safety protocols followed by their hotel & service provider, which will enable continuous assessment, besides inspection by the PHIs and regional health officers.

Several training sessions were conducted on Pandemic Preparedness for SMEs, designed and rolled out together with S4IG Australia and Asian Development Bank. COVID-19 guideline training was conducted partnering with Market Development Facility (MDF) of Australia and the Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL).