Many tourism industry leaders have decided to boycott Sri Lanka Tourism Awards ceremony this year, as President Maithripala Sirisena has been invited as the Chief Guest.

They have expressed disgust at the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has invited Sirisena, the man who is responsible for ruining the tourism industry this year by engineering a constitutional coup and a political crisis, as the Chief Guest of the event.

Sri Lanka Tourism Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place tomorrow (06) at Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo.

Multiple hotel chains have decided to not stand up if and when their names are announced as award winners in the event Sirisena attends the ceremony as the chief guest.

When the event was first planed in October the SLTDA decided to invite ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Chief Guest. In the aftermath of the constitutional crisis on October 26, the SLTDA changed its decision opted to invite British High Commissioner James Dauris as the Chief Guest of the event. Colombo Telegraph learns that SLTDA Director General Upali Ratnayake has then decided to invite Sirisena, the man who drove the tourism industry to the ground this year by triggering a political turmoil, as the Chief Guest of the event.

As a result of the downfall of the tourism industry last month, over 300,000 jobs have been affected and all tourism related industries have experienced a steep drop in their revenue.

The decision has now sparked a serious controversy in the tourism industry with tourism industry leaders decided to express their objections over the decision to invite Sirisena as the Chief Guest.