The dead are still counted, the screams of the injured are still heard and the tears are not dried yet. Easter’s terrorist attack on Sri Lanka is probably one of the deadliest since 9/11 in the United States. How will a country that Sri Lanka be able to rise again? A country that has suffered a nearly 30-year civil war, a tsunami and now this. The immediate effects on the economy are already reported. After contact with tour operators and hotels in Sri Lanka, it is estimated that a 50% decline in tourism is likely. First and foremost, the tourists who have future trips cancel in May and June, but also the winter season. In addition to this, the absence of new bookings. Of course, the tourists will return – but only after the security is perceived as significantly improved. The number of Swedes visiting Sri Lanka is about 28,000 per year and the figure has risen steadily since the end of the war in 2009. Tourism is no. 3 in terms of export revenues. Several large hotel projects are underway and planned. Several airlines have started new routes to Colombo. Sweden and Sri Lanka have long had strong ties. The people of Sri Lanka are still grateful for Skanska and Kotmale, the hydro power plant dam, which is an important part of the country’s power supply. Companies such as Trelleborg, Tailorstore, H&M, Oriflame, Nelly.com, Blåkläder, IFS and Cambio Healthcare have found that Sri Lanka is a good trading partner and supplier for them. Sri Lanka’s geographical location has also made more and more people discover the country as a regional hub. Thanks to free trade agreements with many countries in the rapidly growing region, Sri Lanka can be a bridge to an expansion also for medium-sized Swedish companies. The terrorist attacks on Easter Day do not change the Sri Lankan’s location in the region, but the political system and business life are subjected to tremendous stress. There is, of course, a legitimate concern for what can come out of this. Positive and strengthening is that the message from the Swedish business community is that now more than ever we need to be there and support. Sri Lanka will come back. Swedish tourists will once again meet fantastic nature experiences and friendly smiles. Sri Lankan IT developers, talented tailors, factory workers and many other well-educated employees in Swedish-owned companies will continue to deliver quality. Over the coming weeks, there have been several activities planned for a long time, where Swedish companies would have the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of what Sri Lanka offers. None of these will be canceled. We look forward to welcoming Sri Lankan companies to Sweden despite these difficult times. The threat of terrorism is best met by not giving in. The trade and meetings between people counteract the forces of evil.
Läs Johanna Elisabet Bergström:s fina artikel om Sri Lanka.
”Sri Lanka är en destination som har stått på min Att Resa-lista ganska länge. Egentligen är jag inte den som skriver bucket lists men vissa resmål etsar sig fast i hjärnbarken av olika skäl. Nyligen har jag haft förmånen både att få besöka den lankesiska ambassaden i Stockholm, vid ett B2B-nätverksevent, och att träffa Sri Lanka-kännaren Leif Ohlsson, som är grundare av intresseorganisationerna Sweden Sri Lanka Business Counciloch Best of Sri Lanka in Sweden. ”
Sverige är ett av de länder som omfattas av det välkomna beslutet från Sri Lanka regering, innebärande att visumfrihet införs i sex månader från 1 maj.
Praktiskt innebär beslutet att svenska turister inte behöver söka och betala för visum när de skall turista på Sri Lanka under 1 maj till 31 oktober.
Notera att det gäller för dem som söker ”visa on arrival”.
Syftet är att öka antalet besökare till Sri Lanka under lågsäsongen, men faller det väl ut är det inte helt omöjligt att det kan permanentas.
Det blir en välkommen besparing för den besökande turisten och de pengarna läggs nog med största sannolikhet på upplevelser, mat&dryck etc. under resan. Vilket kommer att gagna landet ändå.
Computer Sweden skriver i en artikel om Arbetsförmedlingens senaste rapport;
” It-branschen utgör en stor del av den privata tjänstesektorns bidrag till BNP-tillväxten. Men orosmolnet hänger kvar – kompetensbristen är fortfarande akut”
