Anura Dewapura

National policy to develop tourism vital

Call to develop infrastructure facilities:

Hiran H. Senewiratne

The Government should take every possible step to develop infrastructure facilities in the tourism sector to attract more tourists to Sri Lanka with the dawn of peace and normalcy, said General Manager, Mount Lavinia Hotel, Anura Dewapura.

He said that infrastructure facilities such as good roads, cleanliness and other basic facilities should be improved and this will help attract and cater to the increasing number of tourists in the future.

Dewapura said we have sustainable products which could cater to different needs and wants in the market and a proper promotional mechanism and national development plan could work well to promote tourism in the country.

The tourist industry is one of the biggest industries in the world and it is one of the biggest revenue earners to the national GDP in Sri Lanka while providing employment opportunities directly and indirectly for more than one million people. Therefore, having a steady national plan is an absolute necessity.

Q: In what way should the government promote the travel and tourism industry with the dawn of peace and harmony in Sri Lanka?

A: What is happening at this juncture is very positive for the Sri Lankan travel and tourism sector. The elimination of the terrorist problem from the country helps the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau promote the sector systematically to position it as one of the valued tourist destinations in the region.

It is now time to promote Sri Lankan’s tourism industry in certain untouched markets such as Scandinavian countries, Russian and CIS countries; Bulgaria as their disposable income levels are also increasing constantly.

We also have to consolidate our conventional markets especially the German and UK markets as they were with us during the hard times. Even more, Indian, Chinese and Middle East markets also have a great potential with the increase of their disposable income levels.

Q: The Sri Lanka Tourist Promotion Bureau recently launched its new brand “Small Miracle” at the International Travel Exchange (ITB) in Germany. What is your view on the new brand name?

A: The new brand ‘Small Miracle’ is a soothing word, which is an excellent and ideal concept for the country. The beauty is that it was launched at the right time and at the right place. This brought great mileage to Sri Lanka during the event in March.

Q: What are the challenges you see in the Sri Lankan tourist industry if peace and harmony is restored in the country?

A: The main problem the tourist industry is facing is that our skilled and trained people are going for greener pastures, especially to the Middle East. If the Government resolved the ethnic crisis we could expect a boom in the industry and then all of them will be retained in the industry.

Q: Is it a waste of money and energy to participate in major travel and tourism events such as the World Travel Mart (WTM) in London and International Travel Exchange (ITB) in Germany, especially for small and medium players in the industry.

A: My personal view is that it is always good to participate in such events to strengthen relationships with industry stakeholders such as hoteliers, tour operators, travel agents and other related entities from the medium to long-term perspective. Whether it is a big or small company participating in such events brings a lot of benefits like networking and contacts with overseas partners for future business developments.

Q: How could Sri Lanka gain advantage from the global financial crunch?

A: Fortunately Sri Lanka has been immune to this crisis and most European Union countries; USA, Japan and Dubai have been severely affected due to the crisis.

It is not prudent enough to focus on European, USA and Japan markets now. Therefore, we should promote tourism in other potential markets especially in Scandinavian, Russian and CIS countries and other untouched markets.

Q: Can Sri Lanka be promoted as the MICE tourism hub in the region?

A: Yes! Once the proper infrastructure is in place we could promote MICE tourism. We have everything to promote Sri Lanka as a MICE tourism hub in the region.

The reason is that we have all attributes including culture, sea, sun and sand and nature to cater to the MICE market. The Mount Lavinia Hotel is well geared to cater to that market.

Q: What strategies should hoteliers adopt during times of crisis times like the present global financial crisis to survive in the business?

A: I don’t believe in cost cutting exercises especially during crisis periods. Adopting efficient and effective use of existing resources in organizations will bring immense benefits not only in bad times but also in good times as well.

The current global financial crisis is only a temporary setback.

The current financial crisis has affected the entire world and my personal feeling is that businessmen should avoid this particular period to go for major investments and expansion activities.

Q: What are the future plans of the Mount Lavinia Hotel?

A: At present we have special theme nights focusing on local clientele. We are also organizing special food promotional events such as Swiss Food promotion and Scandinavian food promotion to attract foreign guests. We have 221 rooms in the hotel and are in the process of refurbishing them.

Certain refurbishing activities have been completed and we have to do a little more to enhance the level of service and the ambience of the property. Very soon we will be launching the ‘Farm to Table’ concept where all food for guests will be free from chemical and pesticides. This is a very popular concept in other countries.

Q: What is your philosophy in life?

A: I am a devout Buddhist and always try to live by values. The basic common thing that I believe in is to respect others to gain respect. To go up the corporate ladder one has to be honest and trustworthy while doing one’s job well.

Q: What is your retirement plan?

A: I will mainly get involved in charity work for the benefit of children in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Since we don’t have children my wife and I are very interested in children’s welfare activities.

Name 			- Anura Dewapura
School attended 	- Isipathana College, Colombo
Civil Status		- Married
Qualifications 		- Bachelor of Arts International 
			  Hotel Management, University 			
			  of Manchester Metropolitan.
			- Higher Diploma in Hotel and 		
			  Catering
			- Diploma in Rooms and
			  Marketing Management,
			  Cornell University USA