When the Easter Sunday bombs exploded last year, I was holidaying on the south coast of Sri Lanka with my family. We rushed back to our Colombo apartment as soon as we got to know the news: the grandpa of my son was alone at home.
We spent those following days in fear. I remember one day when I came across a huge outdoor billboard, saying ‘In memory of those we have lost. We will rise again’. I burst into tears.
This land is my second home. I am an author, I wrote seven books to introduce Sri Lanka to the Chinese people, with the eighth on the way. All my family are here and my son is in a Colombo international school. It was unbearable for me to see Sri Lanka suffering. Although some of my friends left the island, we never did even during the hardest time. As foreigners we stand with Sri Lanka as always and try to help in the best way possible.
Family life
I published multiple articles: The phoenix will Nirvana. Sri Lanka will rise again soon. I kept records of my family life in Colombo to tell people that society has gradually come back to normal. The 12th day after the blast, we went to the Ministry Of Crab for dinner. The 19th day we had lunch at the Kingsbury, the exact location where the tragedy, and recorded the latest safety measures the hotel had taken. On the 30th day I even stayed at the Kingsbury Hotel one night and posted the experience on my blog, to prove its safety.
I wrote a feature article titled Why Don’t I leave Sri Lanka? Four foreign friends based in Colombo showcased their happy local life, so as to encourage travellers to come back. I did an interview with Urban Island shop designer Karen, in which she shared the real Sri Lanka she saw with her eyes.
Tourism losses were unavoidable after the terrorist attacks. Thanks to the great efforts of the Sri Lankan people, fears and worries were gradually healed, with travellers coming back during last Christmas. At that time I was very happy about Sri Lanka’s achievements. Sri Lanka is a great country. I believe it will be a secure nation, a prosperous country and would fufil people’s wishes.
But this year, the worldwide tourism and hospitality industry has been badly affected by the pandemic. Considerable challenges remain ahead, starting with the unknown duration of the pandemic and travel restrictions. Sri Lanka is no exception. We are stepping into a different stage where global travel and tourism will take place with the ‘new normalcy’.
Prayed for China
Four months before the pandemic started spreading, China had a large number of patients. At that time Sri Lankans prayed for China all over the country. Ceylon tea was donated to Chinese patients by the Sri Lankan Government. Personally, I received many messages from my local friends. They called me to hang out. “Don’t worry. We are praying for you. Everything is going to be fine.”
With all the kind support, we feel warm and encouraged.
Now China has been very successful in the pandemic control. It is ideal to target Chinese tourists as a first step to recover tourism. In recent years, Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka have been continuously increasing. China has become the second biggest country for Sri Lanka’s inbound tourism. Actually, China has been the largest tourism source market in the world since 2012. In 2018, there were around 150 million outbound trips from China and Chinese tourists spent over $ 277 billion in their travels abroad (UNWTO). In 2018, more than 10 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand, but there were only around 28,000 to Sri Lanka, which means we still have a huge potential.
The effectiveness of Sri Lanka’s pandemic control is outstanding, better than most of the other countries in South Asia or Southeast Asia. The kindness of the Sri Lankans during the first period of the pandemic made a deep impression on the Chinese people. These are huge advantages. Time-tested friendship and mutual trust between Sri Lanka and the Chinese people will grow stronger. How and when China will allow its citizens to travel in foreign countries is still under discussion. But I believe tourism and investment will enhance our ties.
I hope more and more Chinese tourists will come. They would then have a better understanding of this unique island, and even invest in Sri Lanka. As for me, I will direct all my efforts to explore and write about the beauty of this island.
Amy Yang, an author and blogger lives in Colombo and writes about Sri Lanka mostly in the Chinese Language, with seven books published and more than million followers in China.