TIME OUT
The Ramayana trail
SHIV S. KUMAR
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The Sri Lankan tourism industry is looking to cash in on the Indian connection to revive its flagging fortunes.
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Photo: M.J. Krishna
Ancient connection: The temple dedicated to Sita at Sita Eliya.
On the eve of our departure to India, sipping mocktails on the terrace of the Mount Lavinia Hotel in Colombo, the talk inevitably turned to terrorism. The discussion itself had a touch of the surreal: with liveried waiters gliding around and the waves lapping gently at the beach, literally a stone’s throw away, it was hard to believe this idyllic land was in the midst of a ruinous civil war.
The jungles of north and northeastern Sri Lanka may be far away from Colombo, but the shadow of the Tamil Tigers looms large over the island’s capital. Every once in a while, the Tigers show that they can bring the war to Colombo: the previous week, they bombed a police bus, killing scores of people; two days after we left, a blast ripped through a rail coach carrying commuters home in the Dehiwela suburb of Colombo.
An eye-opener
The taxi ride from the Bandaranaike international airport at Kattunayake, some 38 km north, to Colombo is an eye-opener: soldiers in battle dress (army, olive green, air force, blue) carrying AK-47 rifles are posted every 100 metres, as a back-up for the regular police. The roads were festooned with flags, buntings and banners to celebrate Vesak (festival marking the birth, enlightenment, death and Pari Nirvana of Buddha).
Our hosts, from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board, could not quite hide their worry over the declining number of visitors to the island, since tourism is one of the major contributors to the economy. They were particularly concerned over the fall in arrivals from India. On that warm summer night, over the tinkle of glasses and the strains of soft music, they were unusually forthcoming with the half-dozen travel writers and journalists from India. They talked about the civil war, the impact of terrorist bombs, travel advisories by European nations (their traditional tourist markets) cautioning against travel to Sri Lanka, and their new hope: India.
The rapid transformation of the Indian economy, and the creation of an enormous amount of wealth in such a short time, is the source of much discussion in Sri Lanka. The fabulous wealth of its billionaires, gossip from Bollywood, cricket’s Indian Premier League are all matters of interest to Sri Lankans, from waiters to taxi drivers to general managers across the country.
The Sri Lankan tourism board has kicked off an ambitious campaign to attract more tourists from India, roping in journalists, intellectuals and Hindu holy men to sell the island’s attractions. In our case, the board laid on a trip to Bentotha, some 70 km south of Colombo, to sample deluxe five-star resorts, blue waters and pristine beaches, before whisking us off to Kandy for a visit to the major heritage centres scattered round the hill country and its foothills.
The beaches south of Colombo were once a major tourist attraction for Europeans, especially the Germans. Signs in German are as common as English in the coastal areas up to Galle, but the industry has fallen upon hard days of late; the shops, and the shopkeepers themselves, seem listless today.
A little expensive
The prices appear shockingly high to the average Indian visitor, though the Indian rupee is worth about Rs. 2.65 Sri Lankan: a cup of tea at a roadside hotel set me back by Rs. 25. The same cup at one of the fancier tea centres on the road to Kandy can easily cost you Rs. 80-100. A simple meal of rice and curry can add up to Rs. 100. It’s obvious that the ruinous civil war and galloping oil prices have had an impact; but despite the inflationary pressures, what is striking is the absence of any visible poverty. The streets are neat and clean, there are no beggars, the shops are fully stocked and you can see every make of car on the roads.
Tea, textiles, tourism and remittances from the Gulf — not necessarily in that order — are the mainstays of the economy, and it is understandably cause for concern when tourism takes a hit. Though the war is confined to the north and northeast, negative tourist advisories have deterred Western visitors to the island; and this is why the tourism authorities are looking at cultivating the West Asian, Russian and Indian markets.
One of the more innovative campaigns launched by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board and SriLankan Airlines is the “Ramayana trail” targeted at tourists from India, cashing in on the renewed interest in the Ramayana following the controversy over the construction of the Sethusamudram channel. The drive, launched in January this year, is an attempt to sell some 30 sites associated with the Ramayana on the island.
Encouraging response
The Ramayana circuit, according to Asoka Perera, who is in charge of the Indian market for the tourism board, has generated considerable interest. One of the attractions is the Ravana Cave at Ella, 220 km from Colombo; others include Sita Eliya, a temple associated with Rama’s consort; and Wariapola in Kurunegala district which was used by Ravana for his “Pushpakavimanam”.
Tourism authorities are banking on the belief that Indian tourists will not be deterred by terrorism fears, since India itself has suffered numerous terrorist attacks, and the Indian public has taken it in its stride. The Indians’ spending power has not escaped attention either: Madubhani Perera, Assistant Director, Sri Lanka Tourist Board, has acknowledged that Indian tourists were high spenders on the island. Added to this is the fact that Sri Lankan Airlines operates 88 weekly flights to nine Indian cities, the most by a foreign carrier; in November, Goa will become the tenth. Factor in the goodwill for India, and things Indian (think Bollywood and cricket), and it’s quite possible that the tourism authorities are on the right track.
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