Following  the acts of terror that took place on Easter Sunday, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SL TPB) and Sri Lanka Tourism Development  Authority (SLTDA) have continued to engage with high-level  government  officials  and tourism  stakeholders  in order to assess the current situation  and have taken necessary  steps to ensure all possible assistance  is provided to tourists in need of help.

Sri  Lanka Tourism is deeply shocked  and  saddened by  the senseless violence and unreservedly  condemns these  dastardly  acts. We  offer  our  deepest  sympathies and condolences to all the victims and their families, while wishing a speedy recovery to all those injured and currently receiving treatment.

In the immediate  aftermath of the explosions  Sri Lanka Tourism deployed trained emergency response  teams  and its representatives  at hospitals,  affected  hotels  and  the airport  to assist tourists  in  any  way  possible  including  hotel  transfers,  airline  bookings,  airport  transfers, itinerary  changes, hospital  treatment,   contacting   their  loved  ones  and  reuniting   missing family members through diplomatic channels.

In addition  a 24 hour emergency  support desk has been established  and can be accessed  as follows;

Emergency  local hotline number to assist tourists currently in Sri Lanka - 1912

Emergency   hotline  to  assist  families  of  affected  foreign  nationals   (  Travel  Information counter at BIA)   +94 11 2252411 or  + 94 112252861 Ext 3359

Sri Lanka Tourism wishes to assure tourists who are already in the country and unaffected by the tenor  attacks that the police, tourism police and security forces are jointly  implementing  a comprehensive  security  plan to ensure their  safety  across the island including  all important tourism  sites.  Meanwhile  a security  briefing  was held  on 22nd April  for hotel  owners  and operators on the new safety measures that are being rolled out and to seek their cooperation in strengthening  security at hotels and resorts.

Sri Lanka Tourism would like to reassure the world that the country is open for business and all possible measures  have been taken to ensure the safety and security of tourists. Our world famous tourism  sites, hotels,  resorts  and other tourist  attractions  will remain  open as usual. There are no road closures or restrictions on movement anywhere in the island.

Sri Lanka is a proudly  diverse nation which celebrates  its multicultural  nature.  Since the end of the war  a decade  ago,  Sri Lanka  has  enjoyed  absolute  peace  and  it will  do everything within its power to maintain  the peaee that every Sri Lankan cherishes and rebuild what has been destroyed with renewed vigour. There is no place for terrorism of any kind in Sri Lanka and  whoever  that  is responsible  for the  Easter  Sunday  violence  will be  hunted  down  and punished in the strongest possible manner.