Sri Lanka Tourist Board Enjoys Awarding Itself
It’s funny how the best things about Sri Lanka are run by the most incompetent people. Perhaps ‘run’ isn’t the right word. ‘Claimed’, or ‘squatted on’, as both the Cricket Board and Tourist Board are as much rent-seeking lackeys and authorities. Recently, for example, the official Tourism Bureau was declared the official tourism partner of the ongoing ICC World Cup. Which, I may be missing something, seems hardly newsworthy. It seems like saying the CEB is the official electricity partner. Congratulations? Then there’s the Sri Lanka Tourism Awards, where the authorities largely awarded themselves.
There, for example, the award for best tourist magazine went to Serendib, the in-flight magazine of the state owned airline. The award was presented by… SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe. So SriLankan literally gave an award to itself. Three awards were also given to official missions in the US, China and Russia, essentially for doing their jobs. I can say with some knowledge that the mission in China isn’t especially bright. Until recently their official website autoplayed ‘This Land Is Your Land’ which is A) American and B) not especially relevant to tourism.
Sri Lankan Awards in general (the Graetien, bestweb.lk, press awards) generally award mediocrity, but the tourist board awarding itself is, well, I guess it’s not beyond the pale. That seems about normal.
Posted on Friday, September 21st, 2012 in Sri Lanka, travel.
I’m happy to be featured in Echelon magazine’s 40 Under 40 feature, profiling young people who contribute to the economy in some way, mainly in business but also in terms of innovation and thought leadership. It’s an interesting article not just in that I’m in it (mainly for work on indi.ca and 
I won’t add too much commentary, but just read I guess. The youngest Rajapaksa, Rohitha (Chi Chi) has given an amazing interview to the 
In 2009 this strange character appeared on the Sri Lankan Internet scene, getting angry, flaming, trolling whatever. Then he started naming anonymous bloggers, posting comments as people’s kids, nasty stuff, for which I removed him from 
The chutzpah of this government knows no bounds. Every government since Independence has had to balance placating Sinhala nationalists (AKA racists) while at the same time actually running a sensible, inclusive nation that doesn’t send minority citizens, capital and foreign investment fleeing. Basically, they’ve had to pay lip service to nationalists while at the same time trying to run an actual nation. Every government has also generally failed, SWRD being killed by a nationalist monk and everyone after almost losing the country to various rebellions. In that context Mahinda is actually doing a better job by virtue of not being dead and not losing control of the country. But he’s still not doing a good job.
I hop you realise that by saying “Sri Lankan Awards in general (the Graetien, bestweb.lk, press awards) generally award mediocrity”, you are offending a lot of people who are worthy winners.
This is typical of Sri Lankans, and simply put, it is jealousy. Admit it, Indi. You’re really ticked off that the magazine you and Boycy are running, which has consumed you and taken your focus away from Kottu (something that had the potential to bring you a lot more success), didn’t win the award for ‘ best tourist magazine’.
It’s not just me, read the Sunday Times article.
If you’re referring to The Sri Lankan, I’m don’t work on that magazine, or anything in print anymore. If anything’s distracting me it’s YAMU.
Get used to it! Nothing unusual with the current state of affairs. It was only a week ago it was reported that SEC paid some Spanish company to award them “International Star for Leadership Quality” :-)
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120916/news/debt-ridden-loss-making-sec-pays-for-dubious-award-12695.html