By Uwin Lugoda
[caption id="attachment_95620" align="alignright" width="300"]
"We have done a draft which is currently being reviewed by the health authorities, and when they give the green light, I can open it up for the local insurance companies to bid. But this is not about making a profit, we are only covering the cost" SLTDA Chairperson Kimarli Fernando[/caption]
This new wave of Covid-19 seemingly making its way through Sri Lanka has highlighted the importance of information in controlling the spread of the pandemic, which will be accentuated once the country reopens for international tourists.
To address this, Sri Lanka Tourism announced the launch of a comprehensive travel app “Visit Sri Lanka”, with the aid of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), last June.
Following this announcement, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairperson Kimarli Fernando stated that as of August, Version Zero (V0) of the app was ready and awaiting authorisation from the Immigration and Emigration Department to be linked with the online visa process.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, she explained that the app would be an extension of the online immigration form, where it will include more information relevant to the present situation. Currently the online immigration forms only require basic information, such as the date of the flight, etc., but Covid has made it paramount that more information be shared by the tourists to control the spread.
"We will put the app link on the online form, where tourists coming into Sri Lanka can download it. They will be required to enter information on when they will be arriving and the Level One and Two hotels they will be staying at, which they can book and pay for via the app."
As per the regulations released by the local health authorities, any tourist entering the country will have designated hotels they need to stay in at different stages of their visit.
The first level is a limited list of hotels where the tourist will stay for 14 days, with a PCR test being conducted between the fifth and 11th day, and they will not be allowed to leave the hotel. Once they do a final PCR test on the 14th day, they will be sent to a Level Two hotel – this stage has a wider selection – where the tourists will stay for 28 days, only being allowed to go to designated tourist destinations at particular times.
"Due to these requirements, tourists have to stay in the country for a minimum of 14 days. This is because even if they tested negative 72 hours before the flight, there are cases where they could test positive on the ninth day."
The app also required information from the tourists on whether they are travelling to Sri Lanka with a local passport holder. Fernando stated that this was a new requirement that was rolled out due to them seeing a surge in inquiries where many of the tourists have personal connections to the country; where they either have a spouse that is Sri Lankan or owns a local business.
She explained that in these cases, the app also requests information as to what that relationship is, with options such as wife, husband, mother, father, child, and other being available. After this, the app requires the tourist to fill out their name, local passport number, and passport expiry date.
In order to avoid any confusion, Fernando stated that they have included a clause in the app, stating it is mandatory to provide the required information, and pay for both the three PCR tests and Covid-19 insurance, which is for the medical facilities related to Covid-19.
She stated that as of now, the prices for the PCR tests range from Rs. 7,500 to Rs. 11,000, and the Covid insurance they are looking at is a Rs. 5 million cover. She explained that the reason for this is that, in a worst-case scenario, a tourist who tests positive may need intensive care for 30 days, which would cost around Rs. 100,000 a day, and they will also incur other costs related to medical services.
"We have done a draft which is currently being reviewed by the health authorities, and when they give the green light, I can open it up for the local insurance companies to bid. But this is not about making a profit, we are only covering the cost,” Fernando said.
Once all the payments are made and questions answered, the app will produce a reference number which needs to be entered in the immigration form to start the visa process.
Fernando stated that visa approval should take around a day or two, after which the app will also automatically notify the health officials in the 25 districts via email.
"For example, if the tourists pick a Level One hotel in Hambantota and a Level Two hotel in Habarana, once the visa process is done, we will immediately inform the health authorities in those areas so that they stay informed. Then our duty as the Tourism Board is done. Right now, information is key.”
Version One
While V0 of the app is set to focus on Covid-related information and features, Fernando stated that the next version of the app, Version One (V1), is set to have a multitude of data and features which are aimed at enhancing Sri Lanka's tourism experience. She also added that funding for V1 would come from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank.
Its features include the ability to buy tickets for government-run tourist destinations such as Sigiriya, access to maps, registered hotels, sports centres, tour guides, and it will even host a platform to rate each tour guide.
Fernando stated that while Sri Lanka Tourism currently trains tour guides and registers them, they have no feedback on whether or not the guides are any good. The app is set to allow people to rate the guides, thereby providing Sri Lanka Tourism with data on any gaps in the training that need to be addressed. It will also promote the guides with the best ratings based on customer feedback, and list the specialities of each guide with regard to language, region, and activities.
However, she stated that the app will only allow people to book tickets from government-registered tourist spots. It will not facilitate the booking of any hotels or guides, instead limiting itself to providing information on them.
Significantly, the app will showcase 4,596 newly identified locations for camping and cycling. It has also received data from the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Cultural and Religious Affairs to give tourists the locations of all the temples in Sri Lanka.
"This is not just for hotels and restaurants. If a tourist wants to visit one particular temple or all the temples in one district, they can use the app."
The app will also host an emergency button to connect the tourists with the nearest police stations if the need arises, and share their location with the authorities. Moreover, it will also have a complaint portal, where tourists can complain to the Tourist Board about anything – from hotels with poor service to invasive “beach boys”.
"We can share these complaint statistics with the media and stakeholders so that we know what kind of danger each district poses. Right now, tourists go directly to social media, which paints a bad picture of Sri Lanka, so we cannot continue to let that happen. We need to be able to respond to all these complaints directly."
The app will also provide surveys for tourists to fill on their experience in Sri Lanka. As an incentive for filling out the survey, tourists will be given a small gift at the departure lounge of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), such as a free cup of tea. Fernando stated that pre-Covid these surveys were done manually by airport staff who approach tourists when they are departing Sri Lanka and noted that this was an inefficient technique.
Fernando plans to share data gathered through the app with stakeholders, making it easier for them to pitch Sri Lanka as the perfect tourist destination to each international market while targeting their specific interests.
Fernando stated that this app is drawing inspiration from similar apps in tourism hotspots such as Singapore, Australia, and Dubai, with the biggest gamechanger being the ability to book all tickets on a single platform.
This next version of the app will receive funding from the World Bank for its technical side, which is mainly the IT architecture, while the ADB will fund the data collection efforts for the app.
"We have done a draft which is currently being reviewed by the health authorities, and when they give the green light, I can open it up for the local insurance companies to bid. But this is not about making a profit, we are only covering the cost" SLTDA Chairperson Kimarli Fernando[/caption]
This new wave of Covid-19 seemingly making its way through Sri Lanka has highlighted the importance of information in controlling the spread of the pandemic, which will be accentuated once the country reopens for international tourists.
To address this, Sri Lanka Tourism announced the launch of a comprehensive travel app “Visit Sri Lanka”, with the aid of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), last June.
Following this announcement, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairperson Kimarli Fernando stated that as of August, Version Zero (V0) of the app was ready and awaiting authorisation from the Immigration and Emigration Department to be linked with the online visa process.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, she explained that the app would be an extension of the online immigration form, where it will include more information relevant to the present situation. Currently the online immigration forms only require basic information, such as the date of the flight, etc., but Covid has made it paramount that more information be shared by the tourists to control the spread.
"We will put the app link on the online form, where tourists coming into Sri Lanka can download it. They will be required to enter information on when they will be arriving and the Level One and Two hotels they will be staying at, which they can book and pay for via the app."
As per the regulations released by the local health authorities, any tourist entering the country will have designated hotels they need to stay in at different stages of their visit.
The first level is a limited list of hotels where the tourist will stay for 14 days, with a PCR test being conducted between the fifth and 11th day, and they will not be allowed to leave the hotel. Once they do a final PCR test on the 14th day, they will be sent to a Level Two hotel – this stage has a wider selection – where the tourists will stay for 28 days, only being allowed to go to designated tourist destinations at particular times.
"Due to these requirements, tourists have to stay in the country for a minimum of 14 days. This is because even if they tested negative 72 hours before the flight, there are cases where they could test positive on the ninth day."
The app also required information from the tourists on whether they are travelling to Sri Lanka with a local passport holder. Fernando stated that this was a new requirement that was rolled out due to them seeing a surge in inquiries where many of the tourists have personal connections to the country; where they either have a spouse that is Sri Lankan or owns a local business.
She explained that in these cases, the app also requests information as to what that relationship is, with options such as wife, husband, mother, father, child, and other being available. After this, the app requires the tourist to fill out their name, local passport number, and passport expiry date.
In order to avoid any confusion, Fernando stated that they have included a clause in the app, stating it is mandatory to provide the required information, and pay for both the three PCR tests and Covid-19 insurance, which is for the medical facilities related to Covid-19.
She stated that as of now, the prices for the PCR tests range from Rs. 7,500 to Rs. 11,000, and the Covid insurance they are looking at is a Rs. 5 million cover. She explained that the reason for this is that, in a worst-case scenario, a tourist who tests positive may need intensive care for 30 days, which would cost around Rs. 100,000 a day, and they will also incur other costs related to medical services.
"We have done a draft which is currently being reviewed by the health authorities, and when they give the green light, I can open it up for the local insurance companies to bid. But this is not about making a profit, we are only covering the cost,” Fernando said.
Once all the payments are made and questions answered, the app will produce a reference number which needs to be entered in the immigration form to start the visa process.
Fernando stated that visa approval should take around a day or two, after which the app will also automatically notify the health officials in the 25 districts via email.
"For example, if the tourists pick a Level One hotel in Hambantota and a Level Two hotel in Habarana, once the visa process is done, we will immediately inform the health authorities in those areas so that they stay informed. Then our duty as the Tourism Board is done. Right now, information is key.”
Version One
While V0 of the app is set to focus on Covid-related information and features, Fernando stated that the next version of the app, Version One (V1), is set to have a multitude of data and features which are aimed at enhancing Sri Lanka's tourism experience. She also added that funding for V1 would come from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank.
Its features include the ability to buy tickets for government-run tourist destinations such as Sigiriya, access to maps, registered hotels, sports centres, tour guides, and it will even host a platform to rate each tour guide.
Fernando stated that while Sri Lanka Tourism currently trains tour guides and registers them, they have no feedback on whether or not the guides are any good. The app is set to allow people to rate the guides, thereby providing Sri Lanka Tourism with data on any gaps in the training that need to be addressed. It will also promote the guides with the best ratings based on customer feedback, and list the specialities of each guide with regard to language, region, and activities.
However, she stated that the app will only allow people to book tickets from government-registered tourist spots. It will not facilitate the booking of any hotels or guides, instead limiting itself to providing information on them.
Significantly, the app will showcase 4,596 newly identified locations for camping and cycling. It has also received data from the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Cultural and Religious Affairs to give tourists the locations of all the temples in Sri Lanka.
"This is not just for hotels and restaurants. If a tourist wants to visit one particular temple or all the temples in one district, they can use the app."
The app will also host an emergency button to connect the tourists with the nearest police stations if the need arises, and share their location with the authorities. Moreover, it will also have a complaint portal, where tourists can complain to the Tourist Board about anything – from hotels with poor service to invasive “beach boys”.
"We can share these complaint statistics with the media and stakeholders so that we know what kind of danger each district poses. Right now, tourists go directly to social media, which paints a bad picture of Sri Lanka, so we cannot continue to let that happen. We need to be able to respond to all these complaints directly."
The app will also provide surveys for tourists to fill on their experience in Sri Lanka. As an incentive for filling out the survey, tourists will be given a small gift at the departure lounge of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), such as a free cup of tea. Fernando stated that pre-Covid these surveys were done manually by airport staff who approach tourists when they are departing Sri Lanka and noted that this was an inefficient technique.
Fernando plans to share data gathered through the app with stakeholders, making it easier for them to pitch Sri Lanka as the perfect tourist destination to each international market while targeting their specific interests.
Fernando stated that this app is drawing inspiration from similar apps in tourism hotspots such as Singapore, Australia, and Dubai, with the biggest gamechanger being the ability to book all tickets on a single platform.
This next version of the app will receive funding from the World Bank for its technical side, which is mainly the IT architecture, while the ADB will fund the data collection efforts for the app.