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Yathra Travels Chairman and Connaissance Holdings former Deputy Chairman Suranimala Senaratne[/caption]
By Suranimala Senaratne
We have been reading extensive articles and following a multitude of discussions led by tourism authority officials and influencers in the tourism industry via different forms of media, be it TV, radio, or newspapers as well as online platforms like Zoom, Facebook, etc. They all discuss how the industry should pave its path to recover post Covid-19. From what I have gathered so far, everyone is of the understanding that the industry will be back to normal and operate the same way as in the past (or before the pandemic).
In comparison to most parts of the world, Sri Lanka has been fortunate to have a low mortality rate by Covid-19 and this is purely due to our dedicated medical staff, the tri-forces, the Police, and other essential services personnel. This pandemic has changed our lives and the way we live, forever. Considering this dramatic change in our daily system, we will not be able to operate in the way we did during the 30 years of war and after the tsunami devastation.
New but old ways
During the two months of lockdown, we have come to witness the dramatic lifestyle changes in ourselves. We have seen how dependent we have become on imported foods and other consumer products. Also, we have noticed how much we lack in self-sufficiency. Due to this awakening, people have started growing their own little garden patches among their flower pots and taking a serious interest in being self-sufficient in certain basic requirements in day-to-day life. It is evident that most have begun to understand our old but gold simple way of life. This understanding will lead us to a much uncomplicated, healthy, and fulfilling life and livelihood.
These new but actually old ways need to be reflected in how we promote our destination and establish our stand as one of the most loved holiday destinations in the world. We as a destination must envision ways to show our close ties with the natural and simple way of life. This may start from us growing our own vegetables to an eventual larger picture where the country will be self-sufficient in its basic needs where people are healthy, eat well, and are tuned in to nature and a simple natural way of life. These are the aspects the traveller wishes to see and deems an authentic experience. Sri Lankans are known for their sincere smile and warm hospitality. This new direction will allow us to make a mark in world tourism and also improve the livelihood of the people involved in tourism.
Points to ponder
Some changes need to happen in order for this shift in direction and system. The following points need to be taken into consideration by the government tourism regulators, the leaders in the tourism industry, and every industry stakeholder:
This in turn made Sri Lanka a low-cost, low-quality destination which attracted the minimum-spending attraction-seekers who were more harmful than beneficial to our island's positioning in the world tourism map.[/caption]
In my 40-plus years in the Sri Lankan tourism industry, I have witnessed many tough situations – may it be civil unrest, the civil war of 30 years, tsunami, and political unrest – but we have survived them all thus far. Industry authorities responded by spending large amounts of money on promotional campaigns using international media. Industry players cut down prices in order to be competitive and have offered rock-bottom deals to attract as many tourists as they could. This in turn made Sri Lanka a low-cost, low-quality destination which attracted the minimum-spending attraction-seekers who were more harmful than beneficial to our island's positioning in the world tourism map. That is my personal observation in the last two decades.
I have seen the deterioration in the quality of our services by our DMCs (destination management companies), hotels, travel management services, tour guides and chauffeurs, and shop experiences such as spice gardens and jewelleries, etc. They offer clients substandard, low-priced tours and services and then in turn make up for the losses. The guides, shops, and even travel agents themselves expect the client to pay a 30-40% commission on product purchases they make at tourist shops. Whether the product is gems, spices, wood carvings, silks, batic, or even simple ayurvedic head massage, the tourists are sometimes sold low-quality products or services not worth the money that they spent. Tourists have been coerced or even forced by guides and chauffeurs, and even DMCs, to shop in order to make these commissions and this becomes a bigger priority than providing the guests with the wonderful experience of Sri Lanka.
Fixing past mistakes
Tourism authorities must take corrective actions on these harmful habits existing in the industry. The policies and principles regarding these matters need to be addressed and changed for the better in order to sustain our industry. During this “reset period”, we must implement the relevant changes and upgrade our services. This will mean training and re-evaluating our human resources starting from the tour executives, airport representatives, and hotel staffs to guides, chauffeurs, shop owners, site guides, site staffs, and all other service providers who interact with our tourists. Our human resources can either make or break this entire industry. We as a nation are hospitable by nature and by culture. However, with time, this important and victorious trait has been forgotten and people have become overly materialistic and merely money-motivated. This training and development must be an ongoing process for the entire tourism industry to remain unharmed.
Even beyond the industry, different types of media must be used to educate the general public on how they should be treating tourists. They should be educated as to how they can identify the so-called authentic tourist from the others who are bound to take advantage of them. Schools should incorporate tourism into their curriculum so that the next generation can know what kind of job opportunities they will have in the industry. They can be taught as to how they are expected to behave, socialise, and treat the foreign traveller.
Quality over quantity
In 2018, we received a record Rs. 2.3 million tourists into the country. Our goal is to reach a number that is close to 10 million tourists a year. The question here is whether it is really necessary and wise to try and attract such a large number of visitors when we have a limited capacity in terms of hotels, infrastructure, and other much-needed facilities to cater to such a large crowd. This will of course have its adverse effects on our wildlife parks, rainforests, natural habitats, etc. and also increase the wear and tear of our historical sites. To meet these numbers, the industry will have to expand its number of rooms in the different parts of the country with all those monstrous concrete structures.
The authorities must instead encourage thematic resorts and small to medium-scale hotels which are built in unison with nature and the history of the place of construction. This will allow us to be in sync with our natural habitat and also bring out unique products that will give the guest or traveller a really authentic experience. As an industry that is a proud earner of foreign exchange into the country, we spend most of these earnings on building large-scale hotels and furnishing them using imports. If we can design and make our new projects suit their environment, we would be able to provide ample opportunities for local craftsmen and labour, giving them much-needed job opportunities.
[caption id="attachment_87100" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Another important aspect of our way of life is the “Hela Wedakama” practised by our traditional doctors in unison with Ayurveda.[/caption]
Another important aspect of our way of life is the “Hela Wedakama” practised by our traditional doctors in unison with Ayurveda. It can be a great attraction to promote our country. The Europeans and Americans have embraced practices such as meditation, yoga, and Ayurvedic medication and therapies. Ironically, they are better practitioners of these self-healing techniques than most of us. These aspects of our culture and historical knowledge on these techniques need to be passed down to the next generation by experts in order to propagate them in the world.
Our agricultural systems and our farming techniques – be it rice or other traditional crops – are a great attraction to the western travellers. Our traditional methods of fertilising, plowing, germinating fields, and many such methods must be introduced and incorporated into the travellers' experience. This will give them the chance to interact with the locals and also give them a hands-on experience of these unique activities. Sri Lankan cuisine and food culture are also much loved by many who have indulged in them all over the world.
Authentically Sri Lankan
Our little island has so much to offer the world, in terms of nature, historical value, culture and traditions, and of course our lifestyle. This is a reminder to all involved in the industry to take a step back and re-evaluate your products and services, and renew your ideas and ways to approach the ideal tourist. With this change in our world and our ways of life, it is the ideal time to present Sri Lanka in its simplest, most authentic, and best form to the rest of the world.
The writer is the Chairman of Yathra Travels [Pvt.] Ltd. and Blackpool Holdings, and former Deputy Chairman of Connaissance Holdings. He holds over 40 years of experience in the Sri Lankan tourism industry.
Yathra Travels Chairman and Connaissance Holdings former Deputy Chairman Suranimala Senaratne[/caption]
By Suranimala Senaratne
We have been reading extensive articles and following a multitude of discussions led by tourism authority officials and influencers in the tourism industry via different forms of media, be it TV, radio, or newspapers as well as online platforms like Zoom, Facebook, etc. They all discuss how the industry should pave its path to recover post Covid-19. From what I have gathered so far, everyone is of the understanding that the industry will be back to normal and operate the same way as in the past (or before the pandemic).
In comparison to most parts of the world, Sri Lanka has been fortunate to have a low mortality rate by Covid-19 and this is purely due to our dedicated medical staff, the tri-forces, the Police, and other essential services personnel. This pandemic has changed our lives and the way we live, forever. Considering this dramatic change in our daily system, we will not be able to operate in the way we did during the 30 years of war and after the tsunami devastation.
New but old ways
During the two months of lockdown, we have come to witness the dramatic lifestyle changes in ourselves. We have seen how dependent we have become on imported foods and other consumer products. Also, we have noticed how much we lack in self-sufficiency. Due to this awakening, people have started growing their own little garden patches among their flower pots and taking a serious interest in being self-sufficient in certain basic requirements in day-to-day life. It is evident that most have begun to understand our old but gold simple way of life. This understanding will lead us to a much uncomplicated, healthy, and fulfilling life and livelihood.
These new but actually old ways need to be reflected in how we promote our destination and establish our stand as one of the most loved holiday destinations in the world. We as a destination must envision ways to show our close ties with the natural and simple way of life. This may start from us growing our own vegetables to an eventual larger picture where the country will be self-sufficient in its basic needs where people are healthy, eat well, and are tuned in to nature and a simple natural way of life. These are the aspects the traveller wishes to see and deems an authentic experience. Sri Lankans are known for their sincere smile and warm hospitality. This new direction will allow us to make a mark in world tourism and also improve the livelihood of the people involved in tourism.
Points to ponder
Some changes need to happen in order for this shift in direction and system. The following points need to be taken into consideration by the government tourism regulators, the leaders in the tourism industry, and every industry stakeholder:
- Do we need millions of tourists coming into our country, like those visiting Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia?
- Does the tourism industry need to be the highest foreign exchange earner of the country?
- Do we need more “concrete jungles” as development or shouldn't we make development in unison with nature while preserving our natural environment?
- Are we not learning anything from Covid-19 and its repercussions?
This in turn made Sri Lanka a low-cost, low-quality destination which attracted the minimum-spending attraction-seekers who were more harmful than beneficial to our island's positioning in the world tourism map.[/caption]
In my 40-plus years in the Sri Lankan tourism industry, I have witnessed many tough situations – may it be civil unrest, the civil war of 30 years, tsunami, and political unrest – but we have survived them all thus far. Industry authorities responded by spending large amounts of money on promotional campaigns using international media. Industry players cut down prices in order to be competitive and have offered rock-bottom deals to attract as many tourists as they could. This in turn made Sri Lanka a low-cost, low-quality destination which attracted the minimum-spending attraction-seekers who were more harmful than beneficial to our island's positioning in the world tourism map. That is my personal observation in the last two decades.
I have seen the deterioration in the quality of our services by our DMCs (destination management companies), hotels, travel management services, tour guides and chauffeurs, and shop experiences such as spice gardens and jewelleries, etc. They offer clients substandard, low-priced tours and services and then in turn make up for the losses. The guides, shops, and even travel agents themselves expect the client to pay a 30-40% commission on product purchases they make at tourist shops. Whether the product is gems, spices, wood carvings, silks, batic, or even simple ayurvedic head massage, the tourists are sometimes sold low-quality products or services not worth the money that they spent. Tourists have been coerced or even forced by guides and chauffeurs, and even DMCs, to shop in order to make these commissions and this becomes a bigger priority than providing the guests with the wonderful experience of Sri Lanka.
Fixing past mistakes
Tourism authorities must take corrective actions on these harmful habits existing in the industry. The policies and principles regarding these matters need to be addressed and changed for the better in order to sustain our industry. During this “reset period”, we must implement the relevant changes and upgrade our services. This will mean training and re-evaluating our human resources starting from the tour executives, airport representatives, and hotel staffs to guides, chauffeurs, shop owners, site guides, site staffs, and all other service providers who interact with our tourists. Our human resources can either make or break this entire industry. We as a nation are hospitable by nature and by culture. However, with time, this important and victorious trait has been forgotten and people have become overly materialistic and merely money-motivated. This training and development must be an ongoing process for the entire tourism industry to remain unharmed.
Even beyond the industry, different types of media must be used to educate the general public on how they should be treating tourists. They should be educated as to how they can identify the so-called authentic tourist from the others who are bound to take advantage of them. Schools should incorporate tourism into their curriculum so that the next generation can know what kind of job opportunities they will have in the industry. They can be taught as to how they are expected to behave, socialise, and treat the foreign traveller.
Quality over quantity
In 2018, we received a record Rs. 2.3 million tourists into the country. Our goal is to reach a number that is close to 10 million tourists a year. The question here is whether it is really necessary and wise to try and attract such a large number of visitors when we have a limited capacity in terms of hotels, infrastructure, and other much-needed facilities to cater to such a large crowd. This will of course have its adverse effects on our wildlife parks, rainforests, natural habitats, etc. and also increase the wear and tear of our historical sites. To meet these numbers, the industry will have to expand its number of rooms in the different parts of the country with all those monstrous concrete structures.
The authorities must instead encourage thematic resorts and small to medium-scale hotels which are built in unison with nature and the history of the place of construction. This will allow us to be in sync with our natural habitat and also bring out unique products that will give the guest or traveller a really authentic experience. As an industry that is a proud earner of foreign exchange into the country, we spend most of these earnings on building large-scale hotels and furnishing them using imports. If we can design and make our new projects suit their environment, we would be able to provide ample opportunities for local craftsmen and labour, giving them much-needed job opportunities.
[caption id="attachment_87100" align="alignleft" width="300"] Another important aspect of our way of life is the “Hela Wedakama” practised by our traditional doctors in unison with Ayurveda.[/caption]
Another important aspect of our way of life is the “Hela Wedakama” practised by our traditional doctors in unison with Ayurveda. It can be a great attraction to promote our country. The Europeans and Americans have embraced practices such as meditation, yoga, and Ayurvedic medication and therapies. Ironically, they are better practitioners of these self-healing techniques than most of us. These aspects of our culture and historical knowledge on these techniques need to be passed down to the next generation by experts in order to propagate them in the world.
Our agricultural systems and our farming techniques – be it rice or other traditional crops – are a great attraction to the western travellers. Our traditional methods of fertilising, plowing, germinating fields, and many such methods must be introduced and incorporated into the travellers' experience. This will give them the chance to interact with the locals and also give them a hands-on experience of these unique activities. Sri Lankan cuisine and food culture are also much loved by many who have indulged in them all over the world.
Authentically Sri Lankan
Our little island has so much to offer the world, in terms of nature, historical value, culture and traditions, and of course our lifestyle. This is a reminder to all involved in the industry to take a step back and re-evaluate your products and services, and renew your ideas and ways to approach the ideal tourist. With this change in our world and our ways of life, it is the ideal time to present Sri Lanka in its simplest, most authentic, and best form to the rest of the world.
The writer is the Chairman of Yathra Travels [Pvt.] Ltd. and Blackpool Holdings, and former Deputy Chairman of Connaissance Holdings. He holds over 40 years of experience in the Sri Lankan tourism industry.