Tourism needs culture and eco-tour strategy
Airlines need to increase capacity - THASL:
Charumini DE SILVA
Tourism is one of the most important economic activity in the world
today, because it directly generates services, products, foreign
currency, employment and investments.
In countries where tourism has become a flourishing service industry,
it has a far-reaching economic and social impact on national
development.
Anura Lokuhetti |
International tourism also has complex linkages to other industries
and to government development strategies and plans, which affects the
structure and diversity of other economic activities at the national and
regional levels.
Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka President Anura Lokuhetti
said South Asian region countries are very rich in multicultural,
multireligious and historical advantages.
The airlines have to increase capacity to accommodate the expected
increases of travellers.
The diversity of Sri Lanka is a model in most minds, having the
highest bio diversity in Asia with the strengths of strong culture and
eco-tourism drive, which should be segmented and differentiated. A
culture and eco tour would be the ideal selling point in a new strategy
to replace the outdated and easily replicable sun and sand strategy, he
said.
South Asia’s total number of arrivals for 2009 is only 6.9 million.
Northeast Asia has recorded around 196 million and Southeast Asia has
recorded almost 62 million tourist arrivals.
Considering these figures there is only a very small number of
tourists recorded in this region. It is very vital that we analyze and
prepare a strategic plan for minimum of five years to improve the
tourist arrivals to this region.
“Successful and sustainable tourism development and competition in
the international tourist market depends on the extent to which tourists
find their travel experiences impeded or facilitated. The Governments
have a crucial role relaxing some of the tourism policies and reducing
impediments, which will have a positive impact in contributing to the
national development,” Lokuhetti said.
The air transport industry is a key determinant in the development of
tourism worldwide, including Asia.
According to PATS and UNWTO reports it is expanding twice as fast as
the general output of the world economy, with further growth potential
expected over the next two decades. In the developing countries, air
transport accounts for around 80 percent of international tourist
arrivals.
The recent trend towards liberalization had been through the spread
of open skies agreements, widespread airline alliances and the emergence
of low-cost airlines.
The main issue motivating these dynamic is the need to minimize costs
while maintaining the quality of services and extending connections
within regions and throughout the world. |