Tourism industry says Sri Lanka ready for Winter season despite cyclone impact

Sri Lanka
By Editor_1
Homes and community structures were severely damaged after the cyclone, leaving families in urgent need of support - IOM 2025

COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s tourism stakeholders say the country remains ready to welcome visitors for the upcoming Winter season, insisting that Cyclone Ditwah has caused only minimal disruption to tourism infrastructure despite widespread devastation elsewhere.

Tourism authorities, however, said a full assessment of hotel-related damages is still underway, and a post-disaster assistance scheme, including financial support for affected hoteliers, has been proposed.

The cyclone has killed more than 450 people, with rescue operations continuing, particularly in the central districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, two of Sri Lanka’s most popular highland tourist destinations.

At a government-organized media briefing in Colombo, Asoka Hettigoda, President of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL), said the overall industry remained resilient.

“Hotels are fully operational. We do have some issues with Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. Access to Nuwara Eliya will be restored within the next couple of days, and single-lane vehicular movement has already been established,” he said.

Hettigoda noted that occupancy rates were currently between 65–70%, with only a small number of cancellations in recent days.
“We want to convey to the world that we are back to normal,” he added, stressing that no tourists had been stranded and that essential services remained uninterrupted. “We have no shortage of food. We are running with full electricity and access to water. Around 90% of our tourism product is now back to normal, though we are still assessing the full extent of the damage.”

He urged travellers to continue choosing Sri Lanka, saying tourism arrivals would directly support the country’s recovery and ongoing restructuring efforts.

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam also assured that the vast majority of tourist attractions, including beaches, wildlife reserves, national parks, forests, and cultural sites, are fully open and operational.

“No tourists have been affected by this natural calamity. We have ensured their safety,” Hewawasam said, adding that authorities expected a strong tourism performance in the coming months.

His comments came amid a report in The Guardian on Tuesday (2) about two British women who were stranded by landslides in the central tea-growing region and were reportedly running out of food and water. Hewawasam confirmed that authorities had assisted 269 tourists who were trapped in disaster-hit areas.

“The most challenging locations were Nuwara Eliya and Gampola. Some hotels were affected, but we were able to rescue all stranded tourists with support from the Air Force,” he said.

Nalin Jayasundara, President of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), said the industry still expected a stronger Winter season compared to last year, although tourist arrivals may dip slightly through early December due to the cyclone.

“We received a few cancellations after the incident, but they are negligible,” he said.

-EN/ENCL

Editor_1
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