City people cancel trips to Sri Lanka in wake of blasts

Ticket sales from Bengaluru to Colombo have dropped dramatically, and airlines are allowing free cancellations

Within hours of the Easter Sunday blasts in Sri Lanka, many tourists in Bengaluru cancelled their air tickets to that country.

Eight Kannadigas, including five JD(S) party workers, have died in the blasts.

Nishant Pitti, co-founder and CEO, EaseMyTrip, says the tragedy, at the beginning of the tourist season, has left tourists jittery.

“In three days, we have witnessed a fall in booking of flights to Colombo by 23 per cent in comparison to the week before. Some clients in Sri Lanka have requested us to shrink their plans,” he told Metrolife.

Cancellation and itinerary changes are only to be expected, and many airlines are offering free cancellation. EaseMyTrip is also waiving cancellation charges, he says.

Because of the proximity, Indian tourists feel culturally connected to Sri Lanka. In 2017, Sri Lanka hosted 3.8 lakh arrivals of Indians, while last year, they received 4.4 lakh, according to statistics released by its tourism board.

Many returnees
On Monday, a day after the blasts, several tourists took the first available flight and returned to India.Those intending to travel to Sri Lanka have put off their plans, says Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox & Kings Ltd.

”Last year, 4.4 lakh Indians visited Sri Lanka. The country was expecting the number to double this year,” he says.

Family safe in Colombo

Anjana Samuel, HR professional

Anjana lives in Bannerghatta Road, and her mother is Sinhalese. She visits Sri Lanka at least two or three times a year. Her two sisters and cousins live there.

“We were at church in Bengaluru when we heard churches and hotels in Sri Lanka were being attacked,” she says.

When her cousin called her, Anjana cheerfully said, ‘Happy Easter.’ “That was when my cousin knew I was not aware of what was happening,” she says. Anjana then tried to call her relatives, but couldn’t since the phone lines were blocked, and WhatsApp wasn’t working either.

She later got to speak to them. “Police arrived at a church in Galle and told them they could continue the Easter service, promising to be there for protection. However, other churches had to stop their services immediately,” she says, quoting her cousins.

Sri Lanka declared an emergency on Sunday, which meant people had to stock up. They rushed to supermarkets and bought as many items as they could, she says.

Anjana can’t wrap her head around what has happened. “The country has gone through a lot in the past but that’s in the past. Religion has never been a problem there. This is just tragic,” she says.

In fact, Anjana was in Sri Lanka with her family for Christmas. She recalls, “Some of our friends from Bengaluru also joined us and we went to St Anthony’s Church (one of the affected churches). It’s a renowned place of worship open to all faiths.”

She hopes to visit the country soon.

Eight blasts

• Serial blasts went off in churches and hotels in the island nation on Sunday.
• A total of 321 have died, and 500 are injured.
• A ninth bomb was defused in a van on Monday near Colombo airport.
• Sri Lanka is a popular holiday destination because of its wildlife safaris, casinos, temples and beaches.

Many flights

Every day, 22 flights fly between India and Sri Lanka. For less than Rs 6,000, you can travel to Colombo from Bengaluru.

Shangri-La Hotel helpline
([phone])

Metrolife called Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru, to ask about tourists from Bengaluru and what was happening in Colombo. This is what their Colombo team said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm that we are aware of a number of casualties among our guests and colleagues. This includes three of our colleagues who were fatally injured in the course of their duties. We will continue to work closely with local authorities and emergency services to provide our fullest assistance and support to all affected parties. Our hotel remains secured by the military and the police. We have also decided that the hotel will be closed until further notice.” The hotel is providing alternative accommodation for guests. Staff are also stationed at the airport and the hospitals to render assistance where needed.

The hotel has set up a dedicated helpline to help guests and their relatives.

Reporter’s diary

Hospitable country

Metrolife reporter Rajitha Menon was in Sri Lanka recently on a personal trip.

She writes: “I went to Colombo and Kandy with my mother and it was amazing. The place is so clean and well-maintained. People are friendly and hospitable. They meticulously follow all traffic rules and regulations. In fact, wherever we went, people were saying they want to put their past behind and become a part of the South Asian development story.”

Network jam for a day

Bimasha, a Sri Lankan studying fashion at T John College, wanted to rush home when she heard of the blasts. “I wanted to be with my family and in my country. It was a rush of feelings I can’t explain,” she says.

The authorities had blocked all social media sites such as WhatsApp, and she couldn’t contact anyone for a long time. She was eventually able to get through. “I am from Galle, a place not affected by the attacks, but a threat looms over all of Sri Lanka. I hope my country will recover as soon as possible,” she says.