Tourism Minister John Amaratunga has said that strict action would be taken against ‘Surf Bar, Mirissa’ to revoke all licenses and suspend its operation, if the establishments was found to have flouted regulations.

In a statement issued via his Facebook page, the Minister said, “If the establishment where the incident took place is found to have flouted any of the regulations under which it operates, the strictest possible action will be taken to revoke all licenses and suspend its operation forthwith.”

He added, “It must be noted that it is a miniscule group who are giving the industry a bad name by their shameful acts which have no place in our tourism ethos”, and said hoteliers and industry stakeholders must take the strongest possible measures to ensure the safety of tourists by discouraging engagement with ‘beach boys’, who are more often than not the root cause of many a problem faced by tourists.

Read the full statement below:

Ever since the incident in Mirissa was first reported in the media on Monday 9th April, I have been closely following the progress of the investigations. In fact I personally telephoned the Minister of Law and Order and requested him to carry out a comprehensive investigation and identify the perpetrators of the alleged crime. He assured me that all measures were being taken to bring the culprits to book as soon as possible.

At a time when tourism has been picking up pace and growing by over 17 percent so far this year, incidents of this nature could have a serious impact on the growth momentum which has been achieved despite various obstacles including the recent violence in Kandy. It is in this light that the perpetrators of this despicable crime should be identified and brought before the law as quickly as possible.

The Tourist Police is actively involved in the investigation and is assisting the local police by facilitating contact with the victims, some of whom have already left the island. If the establishment where the incident took place is found to have flouted any of the regulations under which it operates, the strictest possible action will be taken to revoke all licenses and suspend its operation forthwith.

It must be noted that it is a miniscule group who are giving the industry a bad name by their shameful acts which have no place in our tourism ethos. Every effort must be made to rid the tourism industry of this menace and I call upon the hoteliers and all industry stakeholders especially in the southern coastal belt to take the strongest possible measures to ensure the safety of tourists in their premises by completely discouraging engagement with ‘beach boys’ who are more often than not the root cause of many a problem faced by tourists.