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| Sunday, 11 January 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Driving tourism industry forward by Arundathie Abeysinghe With decades of experience in diverse hotels in Sri Lanka and abroad, Prasanna Jayawardene, the veteran hotelier, ventured on the first boutique hotel in Sri Lanka a few months ago. It is now in its eighth month of successful operations. 'Elephant Corridor' in Sigiriya is an upmarket hotel set in 200 acres of wilderness with a panoramic view of the Sigiriya rock, the eighth wonder of the world. The hotel has 24 suites (Deluxe, Super Deluxe, Royal and Romantic) including a Presidential Suite. Every suite has a private plunge pool, a private garden and all star class facilities. The theme of the hotel is peace and tranquillity. "In constructing Elephant Corridor, we have mostly emphasised the environmental factors. When building the hotel, we did not cut down any trees nor disturb the animal and bird life of the area. Wild elephants roam freely within the gardens of the hotel without disturbing visitors nor being disturbed by the visitors. They use the lake behind the suites for their drinking water. The deer, the peacocks and other animals roam freely in the serene atmosphere," Jayawardene said. Boutique hotels are an idea of the 21st century. Tourism has become one of the biggest industries. It may have temporary setbacks, but it will continue to grow because the economies of the world are growing. "I think the biggest drug or rather the most powerful addiction is travelling. Any human being gets addicted to travelling," he said. Sri Lanka is at the crossroads of the three continents, Asia, Africa and Europe, and we have more than 2000 years of culture and heritage. These factors contribute a lot for the success of the tourism industry in Sri Lanka. "There are many other factors which, as Sri Lankans, we can be proud of; Sri Lanka has a lot of greenery (even in the cities), a temperate climate, beautiful beaches, hill country and also a climate which varies within a few miles. The diversity in sea is as great as the diversity of fauna and flora.It is relatively a safe country which is cushioned by a democratic process of government and rule of law controlled by an excellent judicial system. "We are marketing our product to discerning travellers who come to explore the country. My idea is to give something to them without taking anything from them," he said. According to Jayawardene, there is a difference between a traveller and a tourist. The traveller wants to see, absorb and experience while a tourist wants a package and should be guided to visit places of interest and take photographs. "We are interested in the traveller. Our people also have the understanding and the requirements of the traveller," he said. From time immemorial, Sri Lankans have been well-known for interaction and hospitality. For instance, even an ordinary Sri Lankan will treat a guest or visitor to his/her house in the best possible way. So it is very easy to promote tourism in a country like Sri Lanka. "In the era that I was born, Sri Lanka was having the best of times. We have had ups and downs, but I feel that Sri Lanka will have the best of times again. We continue to do what we can and it is the people who will take the process forward," he said. |
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