'Lanka on right path to boost tourist arrivals'

Since, 2009, Sri Lanka tourism has shown robust growth, recording year-on-year increases of 46% in 2010, 30% in 2011, 17% in 2012 and a year-to-date 15.5% this year, said Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, President, J. Kehelpannala at the Annual General Meeting of the Association recently.

"From 448,000 arrivals in 2009 we are anticipating a near 1.2 million visitors in 2013. In tandem, with the increase in visitors, annual average hotel occupancy has increased from 50% to 73% over the past three years," he said.

"Overall, these figures indicate that we are 'on the right track' and that we are gradually moving from decades of 'crisis' to 'new growth'. Our plans for the future must acknowledge what is happening in the global arena.

The UNWTO has forecast that international tourist arrivals will continue on a growth path to reach 1.6 billion annually by 2020 and travellers will spend over US$2 trillion," Kehelpannala said.

"I believe that by diversifying our source markets to include the leading emerging economies in Asia, we are on the right path to increase arrivals to the country.

These countries will have the greatest impact on the tourism industry in the future. By 2015, emerging economies will supply more international tourists than advanced economies," he said. In 2010, the IMF and the IFC declared Sri Lanka a middle income market.

"We are aware of the Central Bank's declaration of making Sri Lanka a US$100 billion economy by 2016. A HSBC Global research publication earlier this year, said that "despite being one of the smaller economies in emerging Asia at US $ 60 billion in 2012, Sri Lanka's infrastructure development contribution is greater than many of its neighbouring countries"," Kehelpannala said.

"Investing in physical infrastructure and modernisation are important to drive growth. With several new hotels on-the-pipeline, hotel infrastructure upgrades and renovations, demonstrate the hotel sector's willingness to participate actively in public-private sector partnerships in infrastructure development. However, infrastructure projects and programs are not the only pillars on which we can build success.

"While we have delivered up to now on being a friendly and warm destination that is truly welcoming, we need to do more.

"No longer can we rely on the natural beauty of our land, such as the beaches, the diversity of our landscape and historical and cultural monuments.

"There is new concern about product development.

"With so many destinations aggressively seeking a slice of the international tourism pie, Sri Lanka can no longer solely depend on its beauty, climate and 'low cost destination' tag. "We have to become more professional. We need to develop programs that include training and education, culinary development, sustainable tourism for environmental management, among many others, all geared to help Sri Lankan hoteliers increase the quality of their product and their competitiveness.

'Quality and value are the keys to success - and product development is how we deliver', must become the new implicit motto," he said.

THASL works to sensitise public officials, communities, and the industry, about its role and contribution for the export sector, paving the way for a climate conducive to the sustainable development of tourism.