A bureaucratic viewpoint

SLTDA Director General Vipula Wanigasekera speaking at the AGM stated that after a three-year long transition for the industry, prior to which peace was seen as a prerequisite for development and promotion, there are now a different set of issues to deal with.   

No overnight changes

“It is very nice to say on paper that there is an investment friendly climate with a one stop unit, panacea for all ills, and that the problems will be resolved overnight from tomorrow and so on,” Wanigasekera pointed out. “But by now most of you know that the issues you are facing are not because of the officials but because of the systems and some of the regulations and acts which the Government is trying hard to resolve by way of amendments, etc.”

One must however remember that governments cannot change things overnight, he reminded. “They must take an aerial view of the situation, check its impact on other sectors and then make necessary changes which will take a longer time than expected.”

He added: “The guidelines will be gazetted at the right time because the Government feels that this could be discouraging factor for the potential investors.”

Master plans for zones and promotions

Wanigasekera also noted that the declared tourism zones by the tourism authority are a result of several years of painstaking efforts. “We have Yala, Kuchchaveli, Deduwa and Kalpitiya among other zones which are now open for investors.”

He also pointed out that SLTDA has received quite a number of proposals that are currently being evaluated for suitable projects.

Master plans are also being developed for Vavuniya and Jaffna, he said.

The SLTDA’s work on promoting and developing the lesser known attractions is progressing well, he stated.

“We have a list of ‘yet to be explored’ locations which are not promoted.” SLTDA has already covered Gampaha and Kegalle and will be finishing Ampara within the next two to three months. More areas are to be covered in the near future.

Government concerns

Looking at the bigger picture, the Government wants to ensure that the benefits of the industry will filter down to the masses. Even though this is happening right, now there is presently no method to ensure that it happens over the long term. A satellite system to track this is now being discussed through which the SLTDA can enlighten the Government that benefits are indeed going to the masses.

“The Government would also be happy if you (hoteliers) have less dependence on the Government when it comes to certain infrastructure services which are not what we call basic infrastructure.” Some have taken up the challenge of putting in place the infrastructure needed and have proven that the private sector can do well without depending on the state for such matters, he said.

Wanigasekera was also keen to engage SLTDA members in formulating a plan that could bring about the necessary benefits of the promotions already in place on a higher scale.

“As you know, our superiors kept telling us we need to promote China, India, Japan and Russia and that this is where the future is. I do not know to what extent the industry has included this in the marketing plan.”

When it comes to China, the Tourist Board has done quite a lot of work already such as participating in a number of travel fairs, etc. which was requested from the higher officials. However the results are not all that encouraging. “Something seems to be wrong somewhere so please tell us where we are going wrong.”

One must also pitch the promotions to the high-end of the market as the country has been attracting people who are not very willing to spend. Some years ago, the Convention Bureau took up the initiative to organise corporate meetings which was successful but unfortunately could not be maintained.

“I hope the industry will take the ball and run with it. It is a very lucrative market. Malaysia is benefiting and so is Thailand. The Indian corporate market is huge and 700,000 corporates travel out of India annually for meetings. This is something we can work towards.”

One voice

The industry should also have ‘one voice,’ he said. “I do not know how many versions conflict with each other which probably confuses the authority as well. There has to be one version which the Government can accept as the overall picture.”