tuk-tuk driver Mohammed is speaking. Together with hundreds of other people, he stands in line for hours for fuel in the capital Colombo. “We can’t do anything without gas and kerosene. No cooking, no income, nothing. Then we can only die.”
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Despair also increases among the waiting Fatima. Buying and cooking food is becoming increasingly difficult. “We are poor. My mother and father have not been able to eat because I stood in line here for kerosene to cook on. But when it was my turn they said it was finished. That I should go home again .”
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worst crisis
A bloody civil war, terror attacks and the corona pandemic. The paradise of Sri Lanka has suffered regularly in recent history. But now the country is gripped by the worst crisis since independence in 1948, according to government spokesmen.
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The economy has completely collapsed, the prime minister has resigned after weeks of fierce protests. Food has become so expensive that government officials are warning that famine is imminent. Fuel and medicines are also scarce, and have therefore become extremely expensive. In parts of the country there is no more electricity, because the plants no longer have oil to generate electricity.
Terror, corona, war
There are several causes. Bad policy by the Rajapaksa government, which took out sky-high loans and can no longer pay off its $51 billion foreign debt. Terror attacks in 2019 and the subsequent corona crisis, which led to the lack of income from tourists, important for Sri Lanka.
The war in Ukraine makes matters worse. It not only ensures that the main group of tourists, Russians and Ukrainians, stays away. The war has also made food and oil much more expensive. We notice that in the Netherlands, but that applies even more to the Sri Lankans, who have to import everything. While the government is broke.
Not an easy way out
There is no easy way out of the crisis. Sri Lanka hopes that the tourists will return soon. The new Prime Minister Wickremesinghe hopes that the international community will help with a financial rescue package. But he has already warned his compatriots that things will get much worse for them in the near future.
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When fuel is the engine of a society, then you see how difficult it is for Sri Lanka. The government has had to raise prices for petrol and diesel again this week, by 20 and 35 percent respectively. Inflation, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe warns, could reach 40 percent. This means that prices are 40 percent higher than a year ago. Our inflation rate is 11 percent.
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Dutch people
The misery destroys the lives of the Sri Lankans, but also affects Dutch people who work on the island in the tourism sector. That industry accounted for a third of the country’s income. But that income is now coming under heavy pressure again. We call Bart Damen when he has just stood in line for an hour and a half to score some petrol.
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Damen owns Jackland Holiday Cabanas, holiday homes mainly used by Dutch and Belgian tourists, about 30 kilometers from the capital. “The prices are skyrocketing now. But that mainly affects the local population. We and tourists can still afford it well. The shortage of gas is a problem. Everyone cooks on gas, but that is hardly available now. We still have a bit, but if I get a signal that a stock is coming in somewhere, I can get new ones, because I just now have petrol again,” says Damen.
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Code Orange
In the good years, tens of thousands of Dutch tourists found their way to Sri Lanka every year. Code orange has recently been applied to Sri Lanka, because of the sometimes violent protests against the government. Only necessary travel is the advice. Owner André Ladenius of travel agency Singha thinks this is exaggerated. “The Prime Minister has been deposed, it is now relatively quiet.”
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The authorities in Sri Lanka are hoping for as many tourists as possible – and their money. “Organized travel is certainly possible. Tourists are given priority over petrol, for example, because they bring in the dollars. That is positive for tourists, and for the economy. But it does demand a lot from the population,” says Ladenius. The majority of his scheduled trips go ahead. A few families with children have canceled.
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Director Fenny Koppen of travel organization Riksja Travel says: “It went well because Sri Lanka was the first Asian country to open its doors after corona. Until recently. Most travelers now just leave their booking. New travelers choose a different destination. safe there, but it’s a holiday and people want to feel good.”
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Five Star Resort
Owner Anouk Brouwer of Tabula Rasa Resort in Galle sees a bleak future. Her guests are set on luxury, and that is difficult during the crisis. “The problems started two months ago when there was not enough electricity. As a five-star resort we use the generator, but when diesel was no longer available in the whole country, it also stopped. Tourists who checked in then left immediately then they heard there was no air conditioning. Since then it has only become more difficult,” says Brouwer.
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She is worried. “All outstanding bookings have been canceled and nothing new will be added. When it will pick up, nobody knows. We are considering closing it again, because it is not profitable that way either. Luxury guests don’t want a hassle. I get it, but it’s It’s also difficult, because if they don’t come, it’s also bad for the local population, for our employees.”
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