Sri Lanka police to track tourists
Hotels and guesthouses in Sri Lanka have been told to hand over to the police the passport and visa details of all their foreign visitors.
A police spokesman told the Daily Telegraph the move was to ensure the safety of tourists to the Indian Ocean island.
The paper quoted Buddhika Siriwardena saying: "Tourists are important to our economy. This is to ensure their own safety. This scheme will ensure officers will have details of tourists in their areas to protect them."
Hotels are obliged to provide the information under an 1866 ordinance, in addition to the data already collected by the authorities for tourism industry statistics.
While the Foreign Office states that violent crime against foreigners is "infrequent", the move comes following the death of a British national, Khuram Shaikh, who was attacked at a southern resort of Tangalle on Christmas Day in 2011.
He was shot and stabbed after trying to break up a fight in a hotel bar.
Two European tourists were also beaten up in central Sri Lanka last month.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt