The Long Road To Recovery

Hotels in Sri Lanka are seeing an increase in cancellations after the bombings that killed over 250 people. Rahul Chaudhary, managing director at CG Corp shares his views about the effect the attacks will leave on the once-vibrant hospitality industry in the island nation.

Sri Lanka, which had been listed as the destination of the year by every travel list and magazine across the world, and was attracting a plethora of tourists, is facing a huge setback after a series of bombings on Easter Sunday left several people dead in churches and hotels. The violence interrupted a period of relative peace in the country following the end of civil war in 2009. Its impact will affect the hospitality industry for a long while to come, not just because tourists will stay away for a bit, but also because it will delay the planned investments in the sector. Hotelier India speaks to Rahul Chaudhary, managing director, CG Corp.

What do you think would be the biggest fall out on Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and its hospitality businesses?

An attack like this, from any perspective, is devastating. From an industry point of view and for the tourism sector, this is probably the worst thing that could have happened to Sri Lanka. It will greatly impact the hospitality business as people won’t feel safe travelling to and within the country. It has lowered the confidence in the country in terms of security and returns for investors.

The Sri Lankan economy is heavily dependent on tourism. How do you think the economy will hold up if the tourism segment partially shuts down?