Good mix of pinch-hitting and long-haul innings needed to revive Sri Lanka’s tourism: Sanath Jayasuriya

Colombo, Jul 11 (PTI) Cricket legend Sanath Jayasuriya, who also dons the hat of Sri Lanka’s tourism envoy, feels the country is on the “right path” to recover from last year’s unprecedented economic crisis and will pull through the tough time.

The former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team, who virtually rewrote the format of ODIs with his swashbuckling style and flamboyant strokeplay, in an exclusive interaction with PTI in Colombo spoke about the spirit of resilience possessed by the country and its people to bounce back, both on and off the field.

As the tourism sector of the island nation is showing signs of improvement following the worst economic crisis last year, the brand ambassador of Sri Lanka Tourism said, to forge the way ahead in the field of tourism, it will take a good mix of both “pinch-hitting” and “long-haul innings”.

The debt-ridden island nation is facing its worst economic crisis since its Independence from the British in 1948 due to a shortage of foreign exchange reserves.

The tourism sector is the mainstay of cash-strapped Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange earnings. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 severely crippled the tourism sector and was one of the major reasons for the country’s economic woes.

However, the island nation is making comprehensive efforts to recover from the crisis and rebuild the economy.

In a bid to woo tourists, Colombo played host to the Indian Travel Congress 2023 from July 6-8, with the support of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), which asserted that it was “ready to conquer any challenge” and “conquer the crisis”.

“I feel, we are on the right path (in recovering from the crisis). It has to be done, and it should be done. As a nation, we will have to pull through, and team Sri Lanka will pull through,” Jayasuriya told PTI in an interview.

As Sri Lanka tourism brand ambassador, the former cricketer who turned 54, about two weeks ago, attended the grand opening ceremony of the Indian Travel Congress, held as part of the 67th annual convention of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his address at the opening ceremony, also spoke about several projects, including seven golf courses and more resorts, planned by his government to help speed up Sri Lanka’s recovery from the 2022 crisis.

Responding to a question on what will it take to put the tourism sector back on track, the tourism envoy of the island nation Jayasuriya said, “Well, it will need a good mix of both pinch-hitting and long-haul innings”, using a cricket analogy to refer to both short-term and long-term planning.

Jayasuriya, a southpaw who earned the moniker of ‘Matara Mauler’ for his rampaging batting style, was renowned for his pinch-hitting in the early overs of ODIs, much to the delight of spectators.

The Sri Lankan all-rounder whose career with a ball is as noteworthy as with the willow, has etched his name in record books with golden letters and is considered to be in the vanguard of his country’s cricket team’s rise.

The legendary player, who was part of the 1996 World Cup winning team, said, he considers his innings at Wankhede Stadium as “one of the most memorable matches” that he has played on Indian soil.

The explosive opener at the height of his career earned legions of fans in India, and Sri Lanka tourism is seeking to capitalise on his charm to bring Indian tourists to the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’.

“We visited India a few months ago, we were in Kerala,” Jayasuriya said when asked about the Sri Lanka tourism bureau’s plans on targeting the Indian market.

The 54-year-old recalled his days in India when he went to different cities to play matches.

Asked which cities he liked visiting, the former cricketer, quipped, “When you are on a cricket tour, there isn’t much time to explore a city. Matches and net practice take up most of your time”.

Soon after his appointment as the Sri Lanka tourism brand ambassador in August, Jayasuriya had met High Commissioner of India in Colombo Gopal Baglay.

“The meeting focused on strengthening ties between the people of India and Sri Lanka and promoting tourism as an instrument for economic recovery,” the Indian High Commission had tweeted.

SLTPB chairman Chalaka Gajabahu, when asked if the tourism sector is recovering in Sri Lanka after the crisis, said, “The economic situation has changed vastly”.

He mentioned the Bureau’s plan to work with Jayasuriya as a brand ambassador, and a full 360-degree marketing campaign to boost inbound tourism in Sri Lanka. In 2022, there was a significant increase in international tourist arrivals to the country, with 719,978 visitors recorded for the year, a 270.2 per cent increase compared to the 194,495 tourists who visited in 2021, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

“It’s like the first nine players in a cricket team not scoring, and the last one coming to the pitch and batting hard in a test match. It’s going to be playing hard and playing to win now,” Gajabahu said.