Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority:
Training program for home-stay operators
Sri Lankans from all over the country responded to the promotional
program for home-stays initiated by Sri Lanka Tourism. There are 125
registered home-stay units/bungalows (360 rooms) covering 16 districts
which are ready to receive guests. The residences are comfortable and
clean meeting the essentials required for toruists. Since most owners
are new to the industry, their knowledge and skills have to be developed
to assure a satisfactory service, prior to operation.
This initiative will help home-stay owners to provide quality service
to tourists, according to their taste and tour expectations, preserving
Sri Lankan values within the socio-cultural framework.
To cater to these needs Sri Lanka Tourism organised a three-day
training program for home-stay operators from August 28 - September 4,
where 80 operators participated.
The National Tourism Organisation (Sri Lanka Tourism) and the
Ministry of Economic Development initiated the Home-Stay Program in
January 2011 to give the benefit of tourism to the rural community who
was not with the industry before.
This program also supplements the demand for accommodation at various
tourist destinations with the target of increasing the number of rooms
required for tourism.
This new tourism product offers a memorable experience to the
tourist, enabling him/her to experience the Sri Lankan way of life,
highlighting the 'authenticity' of tourism in Sri Lanka.
Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism, Dr Nalaka Godahewa explained the
importance as being a new initiative to convey the value of Sri Lanka to
tourists who visit the country, and called upon the audience to develop
the product collectively while improving residences and services.
Representatives of Etisalat and Expo Lanka Holdings (Pvt) Ltd. who
assisted the program with the marketing facility by creating the website
www.srilankanhomestay.com conducted a session to educate participants
about the function of the web-based reservation mechanism.
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