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| Friday, 14 November 2003 |
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Pro-active tourism Lanka's need by Tharika Goonathilake Two major frontline travel agents association Presidents and industry stalwarts said that the need of the hour for Sri Lanka tourism was to be proactive and project the destination's assets than its current political liabilities. "The flow of tourist traffic to the country continues despite the current political impasse and it is vital to tell the world that life goes on as usual in Sri Lanka, " said Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka (TAASL) President and Chairman/Managing Director Sparklink Travels Ltd Nihal C. B Perera. He said despite the political crisis that was projected to the level of a civil conflict by certain international media, tourists are going ahead with their scheduled plans to visit Sri Lanka this winter season. "The majority of holidaymakers despite initial reservations are sticking to their original plans. This alone is a cause for optimism." Perera said that although there were cancellations these numbers were negligible and that the market would pick up eventually once the political situation returns to normal. "The move by the President to take over the portfolios of three ministers last week had an adverse effect, but thankfully we have no war but just a constitutional crisis. The country is safe for travellers," he reiterated. TAASL through its 210 membership base, had worked with the industry and Sri Lanka Tourist Board and Tourism Ministry to put the record straight and expressed confidence that things would get back into place. However, Perera lamented that the political situation could not have come at a worse time given the prediction for a sell-out winter season. Industry analysts predicted the possibility of Sri Lanka reaching 500,000 tourist arrivals this year, the highest since the peak in 1999 with 436,000 tourists. Tourist Traffic (even during the off season) for the first nine months of this year stood at 338,052 up 22 per cent from 277,335 in 2002. "We were seeing an industry revival after a market slump of many years thanks to the Government's sustained peace initiative but despite this slight setback it is essential to keep our sense of optimism, " Perera said. The move by Dutch carrier MartinAir to resume its operations last week even at the height of the political crisis and plans by Cyprus Airways to commence flights as scheduled on November 19, augurs well for the country's prospects, he opined. TAASL which will be represented at the forthcoming China tourism Mart in November by Perera, will also further work towards consolidating the destination's status, at the travel fair, considered to be one of the biggest travel related showcase events in the region.Similarly, the Annual Overseas Conference of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) will also to take place this month, as would the England cricket series. These are all votes of confidence in the destination and cause for optimism, Perera observed. Universal Federation of Travel Agents Association (UFTAA) President Udaya Nanayakkara, heading a travel agents fraternity of over 80,000 members and also a former TAASL President, endorsed the need to look beyond this political crisis and project the positive aspects of the destination. He said that it was essential to face ground realities but pointed out that a more proactive stand would give hesitant travellers further confidence "not to be deterred by all the media hype". On whether the industry was doing enough to allay fears among travellers, he said there has not been a single incident where tourists had been targeted or threatened and that was the greatest advantage the industry had in the present scenario. "This is a political crisis that has to be resolved between the Legislative and Executive. Incidents of this nature do not in anyway threaten travellers. The sooner we interpret this to the world, the better it is for the industry and the destination," he said. Nanayakkara also said that past experiences have proved the Sri Lanka tourism and travel industry's resilience to withstand political situations of this nature. "Sri Lanka as a travel destination is safe and ready for a good winter season. Its accessibility as a destination remains unchanged. This is the kind of image we need to lobby, " he said. ******************* Sri Lanka still a preferred destination Shirajiv Sirimane reporting from London The Ambassador of Sri Lanka in United Kingdom Faiz Mustafa said that the situation in Sri Lankan is purely a political crisis and that it would not have a major impact on the travel industry. He said that initially there were some adverse publicity in the foreign media but the people have forgotten about it now. "The prime concern is that there is no adverse travel advisory issued from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for British travellers which was very encouraging," he said. Pointing out that there are no road blocks put up in Sri Lanka, no civil unrest and violence he expressed hope that the present crisis would be resolved in a constitutional manner. Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourist Board Paddy Withana said that though the crisis may not affect the arrival in a big way it will have a major impact on future investments. "The investors are looking at earning money and when there is political instability they are reluctant to invest in that country." Product Manager, Omina of Belgium for Sri Lanka and Maldives Yasmin Fernando said that there is not a single cancellation from Belgium to Sri Lanka. "Everybody travelling to Sri Lanka knows that this is only a political instability which is nothing to do with terrorism." A leading tour operator said that their operations to Sri Lanka are growing and this year they are expecting a 20% increase in Belgium tourists to Sri Lanka. Meanwhile Chairman of Gedimat Belgium based consumer product manufacturing company is planning to organize a tour to Sri Lanka for their customers. "We have selected Sri Lanka because of its culture, nature and the sea and we will bring a group of 165, on one month tour.General Manager, The Travel Collection of United Kingdom Sue Mautner said that they have not stopped advertising Sri Lanka in British media. A spokeswoman from the company which is a part of one of the world's largest tour operators, Kouni, said that the British travellers to Sri Lanka have increased by 22% this year. "The cricket tour draws tremendous interest in the UK." She said that they are in the process of introducing more adventure programs to Sri Lanka next year. Administration and Marketing Manager Jayantha Dias of Villa Hotels of Maldives who is based in Germany said that the crisis would not have a major impact on the German arrivals to Sri Lanka. "Most of the tourists have already made plans to visit Sri Lanka and as long as there are no terrorism threats and road blocks their travel plans and the duration of their stay would not change," he assured. ******************* Sri Lanka Tourism to make its mark at China International Travel Mart In an endeavour to tap the potential of the huge Chinese tourism market Sri Lanka Tourist Board is planning a grand event to showcase Sri Lanka's tourism product at the China International Travel Mart (CITM) to be held in Kunming from November 20 to 23, 2003. CITM is the largest professional travel mart in Asia and is organised by the China National Tourist Administration. A delegation representing 10 key Sri Lankan travel companies will be attending this travel fair with plans to launch a grand showcase event for sunny island Sri Lanka and the exotic tourism product it offers for the holidaymakers especially pilgrim tourists. "Sri Lanka participation at this event this year will be significant at a time when there is great potential in promoting Chinese visitors to the country," Tourist Board Assistant Director Marketing Madubhani Perera said. Sri Lanka gaining the mandatory Approved Destination Status granted by the Chinese Government last November is another feather in the cap for the country's efforts to promote the destination, she added. The Sri Lanka Tourist Board will also issue a new Chinese language brochure to coincide with the event. This year the Sri Lankan booth will depict heritage symbols such as guard stones, moonstones and traditional artifacts with the country's tourist attraction being displayed through giant posters and a large plasma TV. During the four day period, popular dance troupe Channa-Upuli and an eight-member group will also add colour to the event. Two craftsmen sponsored by the National Craft Council will conduct regular demonstrations of Sri Lanka's traditional crafts while other activities are also lined up to woo more visitors whilst creating an interest about the destination. Chinese visitor arrivals including HongKong up to September this year was 6800. |
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