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| Sunday, 23 November 2003 |
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Global tour operator reaffirms commitment to Sri Lanka by Hiran H. Senewiratne Leading international tour operator Kuoni reaffirmed its faith in Sri Lanka saying it would never pull out from the island. The company wishes to see the political instability resolved, the peace process back on track and improvements in infrastructure, which are prime attributes for the tourist industry to grow, Kuoni's long-standing Chairman Peter Diethelm said. "Sri Lanka's current situation, which we consider a 'blip', will not detract us from promoting this fantastic tourist destination, which we have served continuously despite crises," Diethelm told a media conference. He said that Kuoni hoped the political crisis would be resolved since such setbacks are not welcome to the healthy growth of the industry. He, together with his Managing Director Sue Biggs, had a meeting with Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe over the weekend and also toured the Cultural Triangle and Trincomalee. Kuoni is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its successful relationship with its Sri Lankan partner, the John Keells Group, Diethelm added. Kuoni has been the world's best tour operator for six consecutive years and the best in the UK for the past 21 years. It has also brought the most number of tourists to Sri Lanka - 25 000 packs (with an average spend of over US$ 650 per 11 nights' stay) for 2003, up by 30 per cent from 2002. Within Kuoni's network, Sri Lanka was ranked as the third best selling destination, behind Thailand and the Maldives in 2003. The country is so far positioned for fourth next year as USA has climbed to number two, pushing Maldives to number three. Diethelm, who had been stationed here in the 1960s as country director for Kuoni, said according to his experience, snap elections would bring down bookings until the conclusion of the election. Biggs said that due to the political crisis and associated adverse publicity given by the international media, especially with old footage of the Katunayake airport attack shown on television, there have been a few cancellations, which indicated the low number of bookings. Biggs said: "As the number one operator to the country, we are delighted that Sri Lanka is showing a positive growth of 30 per cent in 2003 with further growth coming in 2004". She gave a thorough presentation to the industry on how Sri Lanka can become the leading travel destination. Biggs recommended greater links between the industry and international partners, greater involvement of the people within the industry and the public to develop tourism, greater value in hotels and experiences for tourists, improving perceptions on Sri Lanka in overseas markets and public relations as the recommended strategies to develop tourism while political stability together with peace are critical to attract tourists to the country. Kuoni won the Sri Lanka Tourism Award at the World Travel Market in London in recognition of the contribution made to Sri Lankan tourism. |
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