Following the instigation of a campaign by travel industry professionals, the efforts to have FCDO travel advice concerning Sri Lanka changed has now been raised in the House of Lords. This has arisen for debate amongst other foreign affairs in the House.
The initial open letter requesting action was published in January with 35 signatures. In this letter, industry voices asked for the amendment of FCDO Travel Advice surrounding Sri Lanka. The current advice has been in place for multiple years and has been called out for inaccuracies.
The campaign letter criticised the FCDO travel advice for its current mentions of fuel and food shortages that date back to the political unrest occurring in 2022 alongside the continuation of mentions of terrorist attacks that took place in 2019.
Signed by travel professionals in both the UK and Sri Lanka, the letter stated that the current travel advice is “systematically undermining the travel industry” of Sri Lanka. The letter was brought to the attention of the House of Lords by Lord Naseby, who commented on the blatant misinformation featured in the travel advice. Lord Naseby said the advice “currently causes me concern because they refer to the fact that protests are going on when they are not.
“They say that there is a fuel shortage, but there is not and has not been for 18 months. They also say that there are other difficulties of a terrorist nature, which we have not had for five years.
“Perhaps I could bring a couple of people from the newly set up Experience Travel Group… to perhaps talk to a junior minister about amending that.”
The push for change in the FCDO travel advice expressed by the Lord was received with hope by industry professionals who called it “a pivotal moment” in the campaign. “We are very appreciative of Lord Naseby calling for a meeting with foreign secretary Lord Cameron,” Sam Clark, director of the Experience Travel Group, said.
“I am hopeful that this will progress our discussions on the best way forward to accurately represent Sri Lanka in our government’s travel guidance in a way that does cause unjust harm to Sri Lanka’s economy, which is heavily reliant on tourism.
“The FCDO advice is stuck in the past and it is vital that the Foreign Office updates the system across the board so travellers can once again place their trust in its accuracy.”
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