Top priority for tourism - Faizer Mustapha

Sri Lanka is forging ahead in pursuit of accelerated development, a drive that has over the past three years seen a transformation of the country's infrastructure in keeping with the Mahinda Chinthana Vision for the Future, Deputy Minister of Investment Promotion Faizer Mustapha said.

He said that the tourism industry has been given priority status in this development drive, as the country gears up to offer tourists multiple attractions and experiences within one of the safest and most secure environments in the region.

Tourism numbers have risen steadily to cross the one million milestone in 2012. In 2013, Sri Lanka is projected to welcome 1.25 million tourists. While Sri Lanka continues to attract the traditional European markets, especially for its beach offering, there has also been strong growth from many new tourism markets such as India and China and countries in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

"There has also been strong growth in business travel, a trend that is likely to grow in the years ahead as the country forges towards becoming a dynamic global hub, Mustapha said.

The Mahinda Chinthana vision for the future envisages Sri Lanka harnessing the advantage of its strategic geographic location to become a global economic force - a naval, aviation, commercial, energy and knowledge hub," he said.

The challenge before us is to attract the right mix of tourists in a manner that benefits all stakeholders of the industry.

This should strike a balance among the various categories of tourists such as high net worth tourists who generate high value; business tourists who demand service precision, modern facilities and entertainment options; charter tourists who seek the sun, sea and sand and historic cultural attractions; and the growing segment of low-cost independent international travellers who generate formidable business for the informal tourism sector.

"It is important to have clarity in the strategies we pursue to generate higher revenue per tourist. In this respect, a critical need is the enhancement of the entertainment, dining and event choices available to tourists across Sri Lanka, and in particular, the capital Colombo," the Deputy Minister said.

To compete successfully with our regional competitors such as Singapore, Macau, Thailand, Malaysia, India and Vietnam, destination Sri Lanka must offer a more cosmopolitan range of 'things-to-do, where-to-eat and places-to-go'.

"Big brand names such as Shangri-la, Marriott, Crown, Hyatt and Movenpick, who will begin operations in Sri Lanka over the next four years. The confidence shown by such large foreign investments alone will transform Sri Lanka's image internationally, and the country will no doubt benefit immensely from the best practices of these tourism giants and from the options they will offer tourists. It is also a positive sign that international franchises such as Burger King, TGIFridays, and international fashion and lifestyle brands Mango, Mothercare, Charles and Keith, Emporio Armani, Omega and Cartier have made their entry into Sri Lanka," he said.

The peaceful environment has also enabled Sri Lanka to welcome international artistes such as Taio Cruz, Mohombi, Avicii, Sean Kingston, Jay-Sean, Olivia Newton John, Jon Secada and Afro-Jack and to host international entertainment events such as the IIFA Awards and the Sunburn Festival.