Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minister Harin Fernando has extended his apologies to the Maldives over a public statement made in reference to the country during his participation at the international travel and trade fair, ITB Berlin in Germany.
Making a public statement, Minister Harin Fernando had claimed that the Sri Lanka has much to offer in comparison to Maldives.
Speaking in Berlin, the Tourism Minister stated that tourists will not be confined to islands and will not be bored during their visit to Sri Lanka.
His statement was condemned by several Maldivians, including some Ministers and Parliamentarians.
Responding to the backlash, Minister Harin Fernando said that his statement made in Berlin regarding the beautiful Maldive islands has been taken out of context and had been misrepresented on social media.
“My statement made in Berlin regarding the beautiful Maldive islands has been taken out of context and been misrepresented on social media. I wish to clarify that we work together with our neighbor on tourism and would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused,” he further said in a Twitter message.
Issuing a clarification to local media, Minister Fernando said that he only wanted to highlight that tourists can come to Sri Lanka after visiting the beautiful beaches in Maldives.
“It was a 30 minute statement and my statement was taken out of context”(NewsWire)
