Trade-led FCDO travel advice campaign gains House of Lords support
Gary NoakesA travel trade-led campaign to amend the Foreign Office’s travel advice for Sri Lanka has been brought up in a House of Lords debate on foreign affairs.
In January, Experience Travel Group published an open letter with 35 signatories calling for FCDO advice on Sri Lanka to be amended.
It criticised mentions of fuel and food shortages in the country dating back to the 2022 political unrest and continued references to the 2019 terrorist attacks.
The letter, signed by tourism providers in the UK and Sri Lanka, labelled current advice “overly harsh” and said the UK the government was “systematically undermining the travel industry” in Sri Lanka.
The letter came to the attention of Conservative peer Lord Naseby, who told the House of Lords the FCDO comments “currently cause me concern because they refer to the fact that protests are going on when they are not”.
He added: “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.”
Naseby has urged foreign secretary David Cameron to re-examine the guidance.
He continued: “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.”
‘Pivotal moment’
Experience Travel Group managing director Sam Clark called the mention “a pivotal moment in our campaign”. “We are very appreciative of Lord Naseby calling for a meeting with foreign secretary Lord Cameron,” he 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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