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| Friday, 28 January 2005 |
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Tourism re-building assets by Chandani Jayatilleke
A month after the killer tsunami struck the beautiful shoreline of Sri Lanka, the hotel industry is readying to welcome tourists back to the island with a refocussed slogan - 'Bounce back Sri Lanka'. The Government launched a 320-million-dollar revival plan last week to woo tourists from around the world. This plan also includes fast-track restoration of tourism facilities in affected beach areas. The return of tourists at this juncture is important to help the industry and its dependents to get back on their feet. From a purely practical viewpoint it's better for the industry and the country and the many people involved in it, if the tourists do come back and continue to spend money here. Such a revival will greatly support the post-tsunami recovery process. Although most of the beach hotel properties in the southern coastal area (beyond Kalutara upto Arugam Bay and Trincomalee) and along the East coast got washed away or were severely damaged by the tsunami, Sri Lanka is blessed with many other tourist attractions. Besides the lovely beaches in the South and in the East, the island has also created a niche for its culture, nature, adventure and sports tourism concepts over the last several years. According to the authorities, some 1,126 kilometres (700 miles) of Sri Lanka's 1,330-kilometre coastline were battered by the tsunami, which also killed nearly 31,000 people - 107 of them foreign tourists. Tourism is one of the top five foreign exchange earning industries in Sri Lanka. It had also employed a considerable number of people - for many tourism was the only income activity. Local industry is confident that tourism will soon recover, though a time period cannot be predicted. Sri Lanka's tourism industry was expecting a bumper season this winter, following the improved security situation in the country over the last three years. Many tourist industry leaders whom we had spoken to prior to the tsunami, had told us that their hotels were fully booked for the November-February winter - this is when the tourist season tends to peak in South and Southeast Asia. The industry also had many plans to go for new hotel projects and also to expand some of the prime properties by the beach - the tsunami devastated many of these plans. Rebuilding tourism infrastructure and reviving the tourism industry as soon as possible is important as it has provided livelihood to large numbers of people in the tsunami devastated villages along the coastal belt. Many small hotel and resort owners will need assistance to make a fresh start, although the large hotel groups have the financial capacity to do their own rebuilding. However, the Government has now indicated that it would provide such assistance plus loan facilities to renovate and rebuild the damaged hotel properties. According to industry experts, infrastructure remains one priority area in rebuilding tourism. But there are other sectors such as focused promotions. Many tourists would not go to beach locations, for some time as the tsunami tragedy could haunt them. Instead of beaches they would opt for `safer places' of tourism interest such as cultural sites or inland water sports like rafting. "Our industry should identify these special areas and launch strategies to encourage groups in these areas. This is where Sri Lanka's multi-faceted tourism product fits on," a travel industry experts Nihal Perera said. Authorities should know how to capitalise on these opportunities and promote our other values - nature, culture and so on to get the maximum out of this situation, he said. As a destination, Sri Lanka has received unprecedented publicity following the tsunami disaster. People who couldn't find Sri Lanka on a map, would now know everything about Sri Lanka. "But, they are yet to know the tourism potential in this island, beside its beaches. We have to identify these areas and promote Sri Lanka as a 'recreated' destination," Perera who is also the President of the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka said. Another plus point earned by Sri Lanka during this calamity is the warmth of its people - the warmth and kindness and the hospitality they showered on the affected tourists was remarkable. Many of the local people who came to the rescue of the tourists' had been severely affected themselves - yet they did not forget the visitors. And our people's hospitality became an international topic as every visitor commended this significant quality which is unique to Sri Lankans, Perera said. Some of the tourists took the trouble to write articles describing the hospitality they received during this tragedy and published them in their local newspapers, magazines and websites. The reports highlighted the sincerity of our people. This is kind of free publicity for the country. President, Hikkaduwa Hotels Association, Siri Gunawardena said when the devastation occurred in Hikkaduwa - one of the most hit areas - the villagers rushed to the rescue of the tourists. They took them to hospitals. They gave them shelter, food and clothing and did everything possible to protect the visitors. He added that many tourists have been wanting to come for their planned holidays, although the hotels were damaged. "Many of the people want to come here as they want to help the industry. They want to help us. They want to be part of our rebuilding process," he said adding that "we'll do everything possible to receive them soon." |
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