Deliver tourism promises

Wednesday, 24 October 2012 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Being named by Lonely Planet as the best place to travel to in 2013 is certainly a massive boost for Sri Lanka, but that also places more pressure on the product to deliver what it promises.

The belief in some quarters is that post-war Sri Lanka is so attractive a destination that it does not have to be promoted has proved to be ill-judged at a time when even well-established competitors have been aggressive in their marketing.

The island has had to face tough competition from destinations such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and India, but has been unable to use its closer ties to effectively promote Sri Lanka to the world.

One can point out the limited number of high-end visitors, which puts Sri Lanka at the lower level of the earnings paradigm, as well as the limited number of Chinese tourists despite close diplomatic relations and cheap flights. More awareness needs to be urgently created in that market, with Chinese language needing to be developed among guides and other service providers.

With Government targets for one million tourists in 2012 well on the way to being met, there are strong questions over the sustainability of these numbers. Have room rates been increased too much and too quickly before Sri Lanka has established a sufficiently robust track record? There are serious concerns regarding Sri Lanka’s competitiveness in the current adverse market conditions. The imposition of minimum room rates have served to exacerbate the situation. Is enough being done to provide visitors with value-for-money at a time of austerity in key markets and increased competition for the tourist dollar?

Most parties are also concerned with the environmental sustainability of having two million or more tourists running around the country. Already Sri Lanka Tourism has opened bidding for over 3,000 acres of land, but previous development of tourism zones such as the one in Kuchchaveli has run into numerous issues, with questions being raised on transparency and good governance. The Kalpitiya islands too have raised concerns of whether the international investors will employ local guides and other services, enabling incomes to filter down as the Government expects. The demarcation of wildlife reserve boundaries for hotels has also resulted in criticism of animal welfare, particularly to elephant herds.

Sri Lanka Tourism itself is facing change with the hitherto different departments not functioning efficiently. The private sector has often lobbied for a stronger voice in the policymaking so that there is a stronger partnership between the two sectors. Accusations of favouritism and bias abound, with the recent Tourism Awards being a perfect example of a divided industry. Red tape, politicisation, and nepotism cannot be allowed to hinder the ethical progress of this industry.

More needs to be done in terms of events, recreation, and entertainment to enhance the attractiveness of the main tourism centres in the country. Yet these events need to be pragmatically planned and in line with the expenses that can be borne by the industry, Government, and economy. Better organisation, more transparent accounting, and better publicity dissemination are some of the aspects that need to be looked into.