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By now, you must be well aware of the situation in Sri Lanka after the people stormed the president’s house which was on live television all over the world.

Watching what foreign media reports, you must be wondering if Sri Lanka is safe for travellers in 2022. This is why we thought to share with you what’s really going on, on the ground.

Sri Lanka is going through a difficult time right now. The island is in a tricky position politically, socially and economically, and everyone in the country has been affected by the situation despite their social or economic class.

Imports have been restricted, and the government doesn’t have enough dollars to source even essential goods like fuel, gas and fertilizer to fulfil the demand. The reason for this is the depletion of the foreign currency of Sri Lanka. The country’s tourism took a massive hit with the Easter Bomb attack in 2020 and then with the Pandemic, which further reduced the dollar reserves of the island.

Queues for fuel and cooking gas were everywhere, and islandwide power cuts were many hours long. With this, supply chains across all sectors were disrupted, and people’s lives and livelihoods was affected.

So in march of 2022, people took it to the street and demanded a change of power, as they were not happy with the former president’s management of the crisis. The government’s excessive mismanagement of resources and poor decision-making had let loose one of the most patient nations onto the street as one.

From all walks of life in all parts of the island nation, people united to bring a change through the ‘Aragalaya’ movement. They were successful and was able to make the president at the time resign, but the story is far from over. A new president was elected and the the local pressure has now forced many more solutions out of the existing rule.

The once-banned fertilizers and grave fuel and gas shortages now seem to roll into the country’s borders. The IMF is satisfied with where the nation is heading, yielding positive talks. Sri Lanka is returning to its norms with better lessons learnt. The once flat economy is now starting to pick itself up, thanks to the unity of the nation.

A chain reaction of avoidable and insane decisions made by individuals with excessive power vested with them constitutionally has depleted the country’s Dollar reserves. The economy was crippled from within, and streams of revenue were choked.  The Sri Lankan rupee kept falling against the US dollar, and the inflation in the country was skyrocketing over the past few months. As of June 2022, CCPI-based headline inflation was recorded at 54.6% (year-on-year basis ), and the USD/LKR exchange rate was at LKR 198.00 only 2 years ago, which is now LKR 358.00 in 2022. The issues have now been addressed, and the soaring inflations have come to a standstill. Although the inflation is bad for the locals, travellers can benefit from it as now you can get more for rupees than ever for your dollar- Meaning you can enjoy more spending less than a year ago.

With low stores of fuel and ‘cooking gas’ for multiple industries to run efficiently, the country seemed to be in a tough spot. Low availability of taxis and transport, low stocks of gas cylinders, most of which were defective. It was a nightmare. Thanks to our generous neighbours providing immense pillars of support, the country is able to keep its lights on, and the wheels are running. This gives the country a greater headspace to focus on how Sri Lanka can grow their economy sustainably in the future to come. One of the ways by which this is done is by prioritizing the essentials such as fuel for tourism services. With close connections with the authorities, we are able to arrange an undisturbed supply of fuel for your vehicles during your time in Sri Lanka, so you won’t face any inconveniences.

With reducing the storage of fuel came inoperative power plants. The energy crisis was the next to hit, and frequent power cuts were the norm. Households experienced nearly a quarter of their day with power outbreaks. However, it was just in the nick of time that mother nature sent the island showers of blessings. When everything had seemed pretty dire and dry, the hydroelectric power grids were back in action which is one of the main sources of energy in Sri Lanka. This mode of electricity generation saved the nation plenty of worries, leaving enough power for the months to come.

The long queues at fuel stations too have declined in length. Public modes of transport are back and running, with the most economical means being the train and bus networks. For shorter means of travel in relatively shorter distances, you could book a tuk-tuk or a car using the PickMe or Uber apps at your own request. However, the taxis and tuk-tuks might be rare to find on the spot as many of the tuk-tuk and taxi drivers left the job with the fuel shortage and the fuel prices. But when you have us, you don’t have to worry about any of those things as we have a network of taxi drivers and tuk-tuks to get you anywhere you want.

Your favourite hotels are up and running in businesses, be it coastal or hillside, budget-friendly or luxurious! With generous backing from the government, tourist services will strive to maintain the utmost levels of hospitality as they used to be.

You are warmly welcome to spend your leisure time around the city or village, shop till you drop and eat to your heart and tummy’s content. Restaurants and shopping malls continue to operate to the mass public as usual.

Feel free to roam around the modern streets of Colombo, the colonial pathways of Galle or any place around the island. The protests have taken a halt, and there is no need for fear or concern. The public continues to show their love and support to tourists, just like they used to, even during the mass protests that won the hearts of many tourists. Sri Lankans believe in engaging in peaceful protests, no matter what the circumstances and who tries to pull their strings. No matter what changes, the warm smiles and greetings of Sri Lankan locals as hosts will never change.

With a recent global increase in COVID-19 cases, it is best to practice the safety measures and guidelines. Sri Lanka has thoroughly got the situation under control, not just with COVID-19 but the emerging Monkeypox disease.

Sri Lanka is safe as it used to be, and authorities and tour professionals are working together to ensure the best experience for all travellers, no matter the hardships the country is going through. What do you say? Ready to plan your Sri Lanka tour with us?

Photo by Brian Wimalasinghe