MINIMUM ROOM RATES NEED REVISION IN ORDER TO INCREASE FIVE-STAR HOTEL OCCUPANCY IN COLOMBO SRI LANKAN EXPATRIATES FORM THE ‘BREAD AND BUTTER’ OF TOURISM INDUSTRY BY UPALI OBEYESEKERE     Believe it or not, Sri Lankan expatriates living round the world form the “bread and butter” of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. This is a bold statement but in this writer’s humble opinion it is a true statement. Looking at the big picture it is a proven fact statistically that Sri Lankan expatriates who live overseas form the largest group of tourists coming to Sri Lanka regularly. This is true specially after the security situation improved in 2009. It is true that a few Sri Lankan expatriates have family and friends with whom they could ‘rough it out’ during their visits to Sri Lanka. The new trend is that a few get-together and rent a condominium (apartment) in Colombo and share ...

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