Polite, amiable, and with a smile that was as humble as him; Wilfred Weragoda shared the roots of his career as the first ever to attend and graduate the then called Ceylon Hotel School and School of Tourism, that brought him a long way to being the veteran hotelier – with a wealth of experience and expertise – he is today. The Hotel School, now called Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management, was established in the governing period of Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1964 and, at the time, was managed by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. The first to apply and join hotel school in 1965, along with 10 more applicants, was Wilfred Weragoda. “Everything regarding being a hotelier was governed by ILO and Colombo Plan. The first principal and lecturer of Ceylon Hotel School was from Lausanne Hotel School Switzerland (École hôtelière de Lausanne) – the first, and best, hotel school in the world. There were also lecturers from Great Britain, Canada, as well as local staff. Professionals for subjects such as science and accountancy were also hired.” Though the industry was not the most appealing one to be widely encouraged into as it is today, Weragoda, on the contrary, was encouraged by all means. “My parents were very supportive of the idea; in fact, my elder brother Keerthi Weragoda, who is a civil servant, is the one who got the Ceylon Gazette for the profession and proposed that I join. He said it would be one of the best growing industries in the future.” There were many more challenges in the process; students were required to learn many languages, especially French and some German, as every single practice in cookery, according to Weragoda, was taught in French and German. But, the biggest challenge, he says, was coping with disapproval from society. “When we opened the Bentota Beach Hotel in 1969, I was the very first to get the job. We had two foreigners from Austria and Germany. We faced many issues imposed by the neighbours in the Bentota area. They thought that this will destroy that area. Even at the very moment of the opening, people opposed it.” Sri Lanka faced a lack of personnel in the industry, with many professionals leaving the country, added to which, the government executed the “pre-1977 closed economy,” where importing even essentials such as food and medicine was highly restricted. The scarcity of food compelled the country to comply with food rationing, which created many issues for the hotel industry at the time, especially as it had only begun. “At that time, I was appointed the first General Manager of Giritale Hotel. There were many tourists coming in, but we faced many problems in catering to them because of the lack of sufficient, good quality ingredients. There were times where we didn’t have potatoes to make French fries. So, we had to find some kind of alternative.” Latterly, with the change of the government, the hotel school administrative procedures took a turn to reorganise, as the school only had 11 students, which resulted in admitting an additional 11 students. Therefore, insisting that both batches graduate together, the first batch continued their studies at the school for an extra year, extending up to four years. In a way, says Weragoda, it was better. He said that at the time J.R. Jayawardena was a Minister of State and it was an era where the Sri Lankan government made an indelible impression on the tourism industry. However, the challenges didn’t end there. Though Sri Lankan hoteliers had prowess and great command in every facet related to the industry, the atmosphere on foreign lands was different. The qualification acquired from the Ceylon Hotel School was not recognised. “My graduate qualification was not recognised in England, and I had to sit for another exam. We were, in fact, more advanced. For example, they knew only Western cookery, but we knew, and were exposed to know, many more. When I moved to London, I had to study the subject for two more years at Westminster College in order for them to accept me as qualified.” When asked to share his advice to the emerging young generation, he said: “The first thing that must be taught is basics. Back then, everyone was well-qualified and trained. In many instances, in Sri Lanka as well as other countries, there are those who did things in a completely incorrect manner – like serving with thumb prints around the plate – which is very unhygienic.” Yet, we must remember – Sri Lanka has great potential in the industry. It is a country of all seasons artfully spread across, encompassed by the Indian Ocean, and blessed with a rich history, which all together is capable of creating a one-of-a-kind experience for tourists, but only if the country recognises it and forges ahead towards its development. By Judy Fernando Photo Saman Abesiriwardane