**Check Against Delivery**

Ayubowan, Vanakkam and Assalamualaikkum!  

Recently I and my family have visited Arugambay and Kumana national park; Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa; Trincomalee and Yala. And here I am, for the first time, today in Kandy.  All so beautiful, so attractive; so relaxing.

What a blessing to be in this beautiful island nation of Sri Lanka. No matter which corner of SL one visits, there is something unique to see and experience, natural, cultural, historical. I will make my GOAL to visit the approximate 5,000 unique tourist attractions I’ve been told about.

SL uniqueness is borne out by demand internationally to experience it, where we see tourism as third largest export earner in Sri Lanka: [5% of GDP in 2018; ForEx earnings nearly doubled in 4 years from US$ 2.4b (2014) to US$ 4.3b in 2018. The number of tourists also grew over this period from 1.5 m to 2.3 m.]  And ratings by the most important global travel companies like Lonely Planet.

I’m a lucky one, as a guest in SL, to experience the tourism, even as Covid still threatens. Sigiriya; no tourists there; 1^st day lion rock.

A blessing for me, BUT still bad for the national and local economy—

YES indeed: during the last two years, the tourism sector has faced sooooo many challenges with the major setbacks of the tragic Easter attacks in 2019 and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic---two significant shocks in a row.

While 2020 was pegged to achieve 2.5 million arrivals, pandemic-associated travel restrictions happened just as tourism was showing good signs of recovery post Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.

I know how Sri Lanka has bounced back from adversity before, so I’m optimistice. Learning lessons and thinking anew.

Indeed what this revival thinking cannot assume is that what was before, will be again in the future. Due to COVID-19 worldwide impacts on tourism are bad—an estimated 100 to 120 million tourism jobs globally being at risk according to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). As you all know the economic and social losses are palpable also in Sri Lanka.

So the pandemic is an opportunity to adapt and do things differently. While highly commending the Government of Sri Lanka’s efforts in curtailing the spread of COVID-19 in the country, making it safe for all of us, it seems that international tourism and visitations to the island will be slow to return.

As such, two important points:

1) domestic tourism offer the opportunity for a new re-awakening . For Sri Lankans to take opportunities to visit the different corners of the island, and learn or relearn the history, geography, and experience the beauty.

2) Given the impacts on the economy, livelihoods and social security on many that are reliant on this industry, it is a time to think about even better was to ensure social security for those most affected due to tourism drops.

A COVID-19 rapid assessment of tourism impacts, that SLTDA and UNDP conducted, revealed that a majority of formal jobs were protected but informal workers, i.e. 70-80% of jobs, were badly affected with reduced salaries and lost daily wages and women working in tourism were worse affected. Thus many people engaged in the sector are struggling, including small scale entrepreneurs.With majority not having any access to formal financial organizations or other business development services, working together MoT and SLTDA with Citi bank Foundation funding, UNDP is supporting women entrepreneurs to thrive and overcome such obstacles.

This is thus also a message to get the basic principles right.

The global head of UNDP, its Administrator Achim Steiner, last week said: “Recovery from crisis cannot be driven by a zero-sum game of economy versus environment, or health versus economy…rather, this is a once-in-a-generation chance to set things straight,”.

There are THREE messages here: one is that tourism can no longer be viewed as a ‘standalone sector’. The repeated shocks have show that tourism is an engine of employment, economic growth, sustainability and an enabler of boosting other sectors such as agriculture and livelihoods. Thus, investing in tourism revival is considered one of the fastest means to kick start other economic sectors affected by the pandemic.

The second message is that resilience of its sector requires a focus on sustainability, on thinking GREEN while thinking ECONOMY. GREEN AND JOBS going together. [Sustainability is ranked among the top tourism trends, with more and more travelers demanding for eco-friendly options, traveling to lesser known destinations and being closer to local communities.]

In this line, the UN Secretary General recently highlighted tourism as a key pillar for conservation of natural and cultural heritage. This is a significant point for Sri Lanka given its rich cultural heritage and pristine environments.

Third, financial viability is a key concern in the concept of Sustainability.  Resilient livelihoods for local communities will determine their willingness to contribute positively towards sustainable environmental practices.

Sustainable tourism destinations are not only good for the country, economy and its people, but this win-win situation would be a cornerstone in our joint efforts towards tourism recovery.

Making Sri Lankan Tourism great and building forward better.

Green means sustainability, while taking new and different ways of getting economic opportunity.

While providing opportunities for people, tourism can play an important role in preserving our unique and shared cultures, protecting the biodiversity and the ecosystems that sustain us.

Sustainable and eco-friendly tourism, promoting investments to encourage rural environmentally friendly entrepreneurship, diversifying and exploring new product developments and last but not the least, using digital tools like the Tourism App SLTDA with UNDP / Citra Lab support is developing, will accelerate a GREENING of Sri Lankan tourism.

Together, we can plan for a greener, safer and resilient tourism sector. Blending public resources with the expertise of private sector industry experts, and the commitment of the informal sector who would play a major role while securing their own livelihoods and knowledge of government officials, I am sure we can develop a great tourism industry can be proud of.

Finally, in closing, to the Ministry and SLTDA, and to our funding partners the European Union and Citi Foundation.

UNDP is very pleased and excited to be associated with this kind of Tourism revival. To build forward better, not build back better, under the fantastic leadership of the Ministry of Tourism and SLTDA.

As we look to recover from this profound crisis, the safe restart of tourism is essential.

I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation and SLTDA for the tremendous being undertaken, and to EU and Citi Foundation funding and to UN partners IOM, UNWTO, UN Habitat, ILO. With the visionary leadership of the Minister, Secretary and Chairperson of SLTDA, in this most challenging year, let us work together to focus on tourism’s importance for people living in rural areas, so we can deliver on the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals to leave no one behind.