In response to: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/sri-lanka/articles/sri-lanka-travel-advice-flights-fco/
Whilst the safety of our clients is paramount, Sri Lanka, a country that has endured over 30 years of civil war and suffered a tragic tsunami, will now be devastated by FCO advice which lets tourists hide behind their insurance policies. Despite working tirelessly to look after its visitors, especially in the last ten years.
As your Telegraph Travel Sri Lanka expert, Emma Boyle, said in the wake of the terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday, “Sri Lankan business is determined to continue as usual and the hope is that visitors will not cancel their existing plans… Ordinary Sri Lankans do not wish to see senseless violence return to their island, and are showing solidarity.”
There is an argument that we should show similar solidarity in travelling to Sri Lanka. Turning our back on Sri Lanka will lead to unemployment and disaffection – what better recruitment for terrorist cells?
Whilst the FCO may well have intelligence that has caused their advice to change (after the attack), it is worth noting that we are far more likely to be involved in a road accident than a terrorist attack (1:32,000 probability of occurrence, as opposed to 1:17,000,00).
I hope that the British Government does all it can to improve Sri Lankan security, to reduce any threat and enable the FCO to change its advice.
