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| Sunday, 12 May 2002 |
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Private
sector to play major role: Tourism Development Authority soon
by JAYAMPATHY JAYASINGHE The Tourism Development Authority (TDA) Bill will be presented in Parliament soon and once approved will pave the way for the setting up of the Tourism Authority. The private sector will then play a major role. The newly appointed Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board, P. M. Withana, in an exclusive interview told the "Sunday Observer". He said the establishment of the Tourism Development Authority will provide more funding for tourism promotional work abroad while the Sri Lanka Tourist Board will remain as the regulatory body and would take an active role in developing the Hotel School. He said the Tourism Development Authority will be set up with the involvement of the private sector to attract high spending tourists to Sri Lanka. The authority will be run from a Cess Fund maintained by private sector contributions viz airlines, hoteliers, travel agents etc. The government is keen to develop the tourism industry as it is his a low ebb due to several extraneous factors. The tourist industry was the fourth largest revenue earner providing direct and indirect employment to around 90,000 persons. Tourism had also earned US $ 212 million for the year 2001 and the private sector involvement was vital for uplifting the industry. "This was because the private sectors' investment in the hotel sector was around Rs. 7.8 billion which has a room capacity of 13,000 for the year 2002 February." Withana said tourism was a money spinner but the average tourist who comes to Sri Lanka spends around US $ 60 which was insufficient to meet wages of hotel staff and for expansion of the hotel industry. To improve the situation more promotional campaigns have to be launched abroad to attract tourists and a peaceful atmosphere has to be in the country to receive tourists, he said. Asked whether more tourists would come during the next winter season, he said more flights would be available from Frankfurt and Rome during the winter season. He said more Chinese tourists would visit Sri Lanka due to destination status being conferred on Sri Lanka and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed between the two countries shortly. Tourists have also to be attracted from the Asian region as flights would be less costly. Withana is of the view that to capture up market tourism the boutique hotel concept has to be promoted in Sri Lanka. The Boutique concept means small hotels that cater to an exclusive class of tourists. Withana says it is helpful to know people in the hotel, travel and the tourist industry to understand their problems better. Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe too is keen to develop the tourist industry as it provides employment to people. Having worked in the private sector right along he is expected to revamp the Sri Lanka Tourist Board which is entrenched in bureaucracy. |
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