First Impressions Are Critical: Addressing Service Gaps at BIA to Safeguard Sri Lanka’s Reputation One Arrival at a Time, Colombo -by Harold Gunatillake
For many visitors, the experience does not conclude upon disembarkation; rather, it begins in the arrivals hall at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake. Regrettably, it is also the location where grievances are beginning to accumulate.
In recent months, there has been increasing concern among incoming travellers, including international tourists and Middle
Eastern employees returning home for holidays, regarding their experiences at BIA.
The complaints are consistent:
Porters persistently soliciting additional gratuities—demanding money beyond the official fee—thereby causing discomfort among visitors upon their arrival.
Delayed baggage – luggage not arriving on the same flight, with limited information or support.
Incidents involving tampered baggage—reports indicate that luggage has been unlawfully opened, resulting in the disappearance of items such as chocolates, food, and small valuables.
The reason for our concern is that tourists dedicate months to planning their visits, and migrant workers diligently save their earnings for a single journey home to reunite with their families. The final expectation is to encounter coercion for financial gain or to find that their belongings have been tampered with.
Information disseminates rapidly. A negative initial experience inevitably results in a review on TripAdvisor—a message sent via WhatsApp to family in Dubai. A story recounted to friends in London. Such events tarnish not only the airport’s reputation but also that of the entire nation.
All investments in tourism campaigns, hotel improvements, and wellness centres are meaningless if the initial handshake comes across as coercive.
What Needs to Happen at BIA:
The Airport & Aviation Services and relevant authorities need to act now:
Regulate and train porters:
Clear uniforms, ID badges, fixed official rates displayed in multiple languages, and strict action against those soliciting extra money
Baggage security: CCTV surveillance in baggage handling zones, random inspections, and an efficient, transparent procedure for grievances and compensation.
Effective Help Desks: Ensuring Operational Efficiency
Visible, multilingual staff to assist tourists and returning workers immediately when issues arise.
Awareness for travellers: Signage clearly stating, “No tips required beyond official rate” and how to report misconduct.
Protecting Our Guests
Sri Lanka is diligently endeavouring to restore its reputation as a welcoming, secure, and hospitable destination.
We are allocating resources towards wellness, tourism, and enhancing investor confidence.
Nonetheless, hospitality begins at the point of entry. Inadequate management of arrivals risks undermining trust before the holiday even commences.
For tourists investing their savings in a dream vacation, and for workers bringing gifts home to their children, BIA should serve as a sanctuary of relief rather than a source of stress.
The authorities must look into these issues urgently.
A favourable first impression is the most economical and impactful marketing tool at our disposal.
Let’s make sure every visitor leaves BIA saying: “Sri Lankans welcomed me well.”
Alarming complaints from visitors at BIA:
Porters pestering for extra tips. Delayed luggage. Reports of bags opened and chocolates/food missing.
This is unfair to tourists AND to our Middle East workers coming home with hard-earned money. We need the Airport Authorities to act NOW:
Regulate porters, secure baggage, and protect our country’s reputation.
First impressions are significant. Let us extend hospitality in the Sri Lankan manner—with warmth, rather than pressure.
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