Govt tightens tourist safety measures as peak season begins

Police instructed to crack down on tourist harassment, illegal tuk-tuk driving

- DARSHANA SANJEEWA BALASURIYA

As Sri Lanka enters its peak tourism season, the government has issued strict directives to police and relevant authorities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of foreign visitors, the Daily Mirror learns.

The move comes as the country anticipates over two million tourist arrivals by the end of 2025.

Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe told the Daily Mirror that Tourism Police Units nationwide have been instructed to intensify surveillance, strengthen patrols in tourist hotspots, and act swiftly against any form of harassment targeting visitors.

The renewed push for enhanced safety comes in the wake of several troubling incidents involving foreign tourists facing sexual harassment.

One such case occurred in Arugam Bay on October 25, where a video went viral showing a foreign woman being sexually harassed by a Sri Lankan man. The tourist, who was travelling in a rented tuk-tuk, had stopped her vehicle when the man approached, exposed himself, and attempted to harass her. She had been filming her journey and inadvertently recorded the entire encounter.