Lanka will be able to compete as top tourist destination -Burton

Cassandra Abeynaike

Trevor Burton has practically been a part of the hotel industry from the beginning of his career. Growing up in the UK as the eldest of three children, Trevor's father who was a hotelier in Tutbury, greatly influenced the decision he made to enter the field professionally.

After completing a university degree in Hotel and Business Management, Trevor began his journey as an hotelier.

At 21, Trevor was placed in New York where he worked as a Room Service Manager. From there he went on to work in Jamaica, Venezuela, France and UAE before he became involved in the Hyatt hotel chain in the late 1980s.

Trevor first became exposed to Asia in 1987 when he arrived in Hong Kong to work for the Hyatt corporate and training sector,becoming a part of more than 30 hotel openings throughout his career thus far.

From 1997 to 2010, Trevor worked in Hong Kong and by the end of 2010 he had plans for retirement but when a job opportunity arose in Sri Lanka through well known entrepreneur Asanga Seneviratne, Trevor couldn't refuse the chance to develop the rest of the Indian Ocean and East Coast.'Anilana; hotels, resorts, retreats,' is seen to be the company that can drive this change and Trevor, as the CEO, wants to market Sri Lanka's exotica on a positive basis.

Trevor Burton

Daily News Business Expat Chit Chat thanks Trevor for taking time off his busy schedule to share his thoughts and opinions on Sri Lanka.

Cassandra: 'How do you see the Sri Lankan market at the moment?'

Trevor: 'In one word, its 'frustrated' as the demand from inbound visitors cannot be met. The government is creating the infrastructure needed and I hope that this continues as it will expose more parts of the country which are yet to be discovered.

Cassandra: 'What are your future plans?'

Trevor: 'I don't have any plans to leave the country, so I hope that I will be able to build more innovative hotels.'

Cassandra: 'What are your CSR initiatives?'

Trevor: 'With 'Anilana' it shows a 'little piece of Sri Lanka' and with the exotic image that can be presented, Sri Lanka will be able to compete as a top tourist destination, bringing international standards to the island.'

Cassandra: 'How do you see Sri Lanka today?'

Trevor: 'The country is holding onto familiarity but also wanting to embrace new concepts. Being someone who has witnessed Sri Lanka at her worst, the amount of development that has occurred is convincing and this is definitely a period of great change.'

Cassandra: 'How do you feel working in Sri Lanka?'

Trevor: 'Like any job there are the ups and the downs but Sri Lanka is exciting and unique with success being dependent on adaptability.'

Cassandra: 'What is your vision for Sri Lanka?'

Trevor: 'I envision the country to be one of the top tourist aspirations and with the right management and marketing, this can be achieved.

This is the time to take action and it needs to be done with the right tools.'

Cassandra: 'What direction do you think Sri Lanka is heading in?'

Trevor: 'Sri Lanka is heading towards a different future and economically, there are a lot of opportunities present. The West is searching for an unknown destination and the country can be that destination.

This comes only once in a lifetime, confidence and clear plans are needed for the end product.'

Cassandra: 'How do you review the ethnic issues?'

Trevor: 'I don't believe that I have the sufficient knowledge to answer this question but having lived in various parts of the world, I don't understand what the issues are.'

Cassandra: 'What's an unforgettable experience that you had in Sri Lanka?'

Trevor: 'That is without a doubt when I met my wife in Colombo. She was the one that introduced me to the values and practices of the country. She has taken me on an exotic journey.'

Cassandra: 'Where's your favourite place in Sri Lanka?'

Trevor: 'My favourite place would have to be Pinnawala, I love visiting the elephant orphanage.'

cassandra_abeynaike@ hotmail.com