Travel / Lifestyle

Eco and adventure tourism can boost revenue

by Gamini Warushamana

Sri Lanka can increase its revenue from tourism if the country focuses on nature and adventure tourism rather than chasing millions of tourist arrival targets, said the Chairman and Managing Director of Eco Team (Pvt) Ltd Anurudda Bandara. If we can increase the share of nature and adventure tourism by 25% it will be equivalent to the conventional tourism targets, since this is an upmarket high spending segment in the tourism industry, he said.

Eco and adventure tourism is selling the unique features of the country and each country has a share in the nature and adventure tourism as the climate, natural beauty and cultural differences are all marketable values and Sri Lanka is rich compared to any other country. The most important advantage is that Sri Lanka's nature and adventure tourism has greater diversity within a short distance.

Eco and adventure tourism is a large international market and Sri Lanka still accounts for a very small share. Global adventure tourism is growing annually at 7% while nature based tourism is growing 10-20% annually. The expenditure pattern of these tourists is different. They may not spend much on hotel rooms but would spend more on fishing, water sports, cycling or climbing, Bandara said.

To be an alternative tour operator there should be separate infrastructure, safety measures and transportation facilities which is costly and difficult to obtain. In the industry the Eco team is acting as an intermediator bridging the gap and enabling Sri Lankan tour operators to organise and bring eco and adventure tourists to the country.

The company was formed in 2000 and Bandara said that he was happy about the performance of the business. "We are the pioneers in the industry and now there are followers. We have no competition within the country and what is important is to grab a significant market share for the country", he said.

The Eco Team is a fully Sri Lankan company and the company is in its growth stage. To increase the market share of this sector the government and tourism authorities have to do more. We don't expect financial assistance from the government. Clearing red tape in government agencies is essential because eco tour operators have to work together with the forest, wildlife, railway department and other government agencies, he said.

The Eco Team follows strict guidelines in its operations that have been accepted internationally. But we are not copying any foreign company and we have our own identity which is above industry standards, Bandara said.

The Eco Team manufactures equipment needed in its operations locally which is very expensive if imported. The company is also highly concerned over environmental issues and provides maximum benefits to locals in the rural areas where most of the activities are being carried out.

The Eco Team offers 26 activities for tourists including agro tourism, bird watching, cycling and mountain biking, hiking, nature trails, photography and filming missions, rock climbing, rain forest exploration, surfing and inland and deep sea fishing. It offers camps in every national park in the country. In Wilpattu, the camp site is 40 Km in to the jungle.

In a camp the Eco team makes a mini luxury hotel in the jungle with all facilities for tourists. The Eco Team's main activity centre is in Belihuloya and there are two camp sites which can accommodate 100 persons at a time. The Eco Team is introducing new activities and now facilitates holding eco weddings, honeymoon packages and specialised wedding ceremonies.

Visas for Lankans on arrival in Malaysia

Sri Lankan citizens are now eligible to enter Malaysia by obtaining a visa on arrival, at specified points, in a bid to lure tourists from the island nation.

Kuala Lumpur has deemed that visitors travelling to Malaysia on tourist purposes will be given a maximum 30 days stay with no extensions allowed.

Visitors must also produce a confirmed return ticket, at entry point, the Malaysian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Ms. Nazirah Hussain said. The points of entry specified include the international airports of Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Senai, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu and the Sultan Abu Bkar Complex, Tanjung Kupang, Johor.

Visitors will be charged RM100 for each application under this Visa on Arrival facility. The facility is subject to approval of the Malaysian immigration authorities upon arrival.

SriLankan signs Collective Agreement with largest employee union

SriLankan Airlines has signed a three-year Collective Agreement with its largest employee union, the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya, whose membership includes the majority of the airline's 5,500 employees.

"We expect the members of the SLNSS to focus on improving their productivity, which together with improved business processes, will compensate for the increase in employee costs driven by this agreement and enable the company to remain profitable during these difficult times,' said Vipula Gunatilleke, Chief Financial Officer.

The airline already has similar Collective Agreements with all of its other unions, including the Pilots Guild of Sri Lanka, the Flight Attendants Union, the Association of Licensed Aircraft Engineers, the SriLankan Airlines Aircraft Technicians Association, the Manual and Mercantile Workers Union in Singapore, and the Foreign Airlines Employees Union Peninsular Malaysia.

Sunil Dissanayake, Head of Human Resources said: "This Collective Agreement will certainly serve to enhance the relationship between the management and staff of the company. Negotiations were carried out in a very cordial and conducive atmosphere with the negotiating team of SLNSS, displaying professionalism and maturity."

The agreement covers salary scales, benefits, incentives, and other aspects of staff in non-executive grades.

"We encourage other companies to have collective agreements which are long-lasting and sustainable. These will provide industrial peace and allow companies greater stability for financial planning. The government should inculcate this culture across all industries," said Lesley Devendra, General Secretary SLNSS.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the airline in Katunayake by Vipula Gunatilleke, Chief Financial Officer (representing the CEO), Sunil Dissanayake, Head of Human Resources, and Ali Kamil, Manager Human Resources. The SLNSS was represented by Lesley Devendra, General Secretary SLNSS, Jeyaraj Palihawadana, General Secretary SLNSS SriLankan Branch and K. A. W. Fernando, Chief Organiser SLNSS SriLankan Branch.

Training for Pakistan airline Airblue staff

Meanwhile, SriLankan Engineering, the technical arm of SriLankan Airlines which provides a variety of services for other airlines, recently completed a training program for engineering staff of Airblue, Pakistan's fastest growing domestic airline.

"Airblue is one more customer airline that we are looking forward to a long-term relationship with, as part of our active program of offering Third Party Maintenance Facilities to other airlines," said Captain Dick Hutton, Chief Technical Officer of SriLankan.

"We are at present in discussions with several carriers including those in India, Sri Lanka and the Middle East, offering our expertise in many types of maintenance activities. We are confident that we now have the expertise and facilities," he said.