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| Sunday, 05 March 2006 |
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Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Mammas Hotel and Restaurant nucleus for foreign visitors by Elmo Leonard
Hikkaduwa, 64 miles south of Colombo, sporting spectacular underwater coral and a kaleidoscope of biodiversity which goes with it, was the first tourist resort location to be developed in the mid-60s when tourism as an industry took root in Sri Lanka. Then, the clean extending beaches, the low cost of some of the hotel rooms, in this southern fishing village, touting, nudism ... made this place a paradise for tourists, for both the affluent visitor and the hippie cult. There was much controversy at that time about the behaviour of tourists in the isle of the Dhamma. Today, Hikkaduwa is much dissimilar. First, the sea fronts are gone; the consequence of coastal erosion. Coral mining has gone on, for too long. Another reason is that many thousands of tourists, during their diving excursions through the years, have stepped on the coral, damaging it. Now, with sewerage treatment being enforced, there is less damage being done to the coral. Mammas Hotel and Restaurant, Hikkaduwa, is a pioneer, having begun small in 1971, before tourism in the country took wings. Mammas, nestles in a busy tourist setting, and has not grown to over five levels and 12 rooms. But, this tsunami-hit hospitality unit is a nucleus for foreign visitors seeking sea food and beer, and viewing Hikkaduwa's underwater life, through glass-bottom boats, some owned by Mammas. The owner, Nelson Dias, recalls his father, Piyasena Dias, being the first person in Hikkaduwa in 1966 to accommodate tourists in a house, being their home, near the Hikkaduwa police station. There was an inadequacy of rooms at the time and some tourists slept near the police station and in a school building, nearby, Nelson recalled.
Nelson proudly displayed the menu done in French. We understood many Scandinavians haunt this spot. Then, there are Finnish, German, Swiss, Russian, besides. Mammas, being established, its the tourist guides who bring the motoring foreigner, here. Mammas is the first, to introduce the storing of live lobsters, for cooking into the menu, in this area. We heard tourists calling out for Calamari, meaning cuttle fish. There were crabs, jumbo prawn, soups, and Chinese and Sri Lankan cuisine intermixed with all brands of beer. The December 31 two kilometre sea swim begins from here, being another attraction to Hikkaduwa's booming tourism industry. The tourist season ends in March and occupation was good, hoteliers said. The tsunami loss to Mammas, by way of boats, vehicles, furniture and equipment was $60,000. Two rooms on the ground floor are not being used as a safety precaution against another tsunami. But, the restaurant is on the ground floor. Nelson has sought the assistance of a private Bank for a loan equivalent to $14,000 to take the restaurant to the first floor. But, with the tsunami warning in place, and higher floors to take refuge in, come such a catastrophe; tourists love their food under the canopy of coconut trees and Mother Nature sand, to rest their weary feet on. Apparently, Nelson has learned his lessons in the tourist trade through experience. But, look out his son, Dananjaya Dias 20 who has gone thorough a hotel management course of study is now studying Japanese. Keells to launch another hotel brand
John Keells will unveil a new concept of hotels at the ITB 2006 in Berlin on March 8. This closely follows the successful launch of its first hotel brand 'Cinnamon' at the World Travel Mart in 2005. The new brand which would encompass the 3 and 4 star properties of Keells will differentiate itself by strongly highlighting the 'individuality' of each of its hotels and showcasing and packaging the varied 'experiences' these different venues and properties provide. Executive Vice President of the Leisure Sector of John Keells Jayantissa Kehelpannala said, "our 3 and 4 star properties have rich cultural or natural settings and some unique product attributes. After an in-depth study of their individual merits, we are convinced that bringing them under a common denominator of service quality while showcasing the uniqueness of each hotel would create ideal holiday experiences for each clientele. The new brand is entirely home-grown and has been conceptualised with an ear to the ground". The role out plan is to brand The Village Habarana, The Citadel Kandy and Yala Village in Sri Lanka and the Hakuraa Club in the Maldives before the end of 2006. While the rest of the portfolio would be branded once the required investments are made. Kehelpannala said "the brand team has benefited significantly from knowledge transfer from working with international consultants during the group's first branding initiative, which has enabled the team to combine best practice with local strengths to create the ideal 'home brand.'" The brand concept has been developed in a manner that will allow it to adapt and leverage the equities of whichever destination it is in.
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