With the tourism sector being developed:

Tea industry regains pride of place

By Mohammed Naalir

Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena opening a tea outlet while Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe looks on

After the elimination of terrorism the tourism industry has also started to blossom and the arrival of foreign tourists have increased by several folds. Identified tourism attractions are being developed by the Government. The industrial sector is also being developed, said Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena.

Sri Lanka is also turning into a major tourism hub in the region. Sri Lanka as a tourism destination takes prominence in three ways such as it is an authentic tourism destination, a compact island of 65,610 sqkm where a tourist can travel the length and breadth of the country within a few days and the third feature is the diversity of the tourism product is unparalleled.

For the simplicity of communicating the diversity of Sri Lanka in 2010, the tourism authorities started positioning the country around eight different products such as beaches, heritage, wildlife, scenic beauty, mind and body wellness, festivals, sports and adventure and Essence. The Essence of Sri Lanka includes what is unique to the country such as its people, art and culture, spices, tea, gems, handy crafts etc.

The tourism industry is turning into a major income generating sector. The Government has taken all required efforts to promote the tourism industry across the country providing required facilities to tourists and tourism sector service providers, 2020 is expected to be a glorious era in the tourism industry. Tourism authorities have identified several tourism attractions along the coastal belt of Sri Lanka as well as inside the country. Most of them have already been developed. Kuchchaveli in the Trincomalee district will also be developed into a tourism destination soon. A large stretch of land in Kuchchaveli area has been identified to promote the tourism industry.

A well-terraced tea plantation

Tea outlet at Lumbini Tea Estate, Deniyaya

Foreign tourists walk past artwork for sale at a roadside stall in Colombo

A tea plucker

Arrival of tourists is expected to increase by several folds by 2016. With the increase of tourist arrival the requirement of hotel rooms and other recreational facilities have also increased simultaneously. The Government is constructing hotel rooms and developing other facilities at identified locations. With the restoration of peace in the country a novel way has arisen to promote the tourism industry even in the North and the East. The Government has also identified several new locations to promote the tourism industry. The islands in Kalpitiya take prominence among them. Tourism sector is also expected to be one of the main income generating sources of the country, Investment Promotion Ministry sources pointed out.

The Government hopes to generate a large number of direct and indirect employment opportunities through the industrial and tourism sectors.

The Government has identified several locations to set up industrial estates and industrial zones across the country including the South. Within the concluded couple of years the inflow of Foreign Direct Investments has also increased by a considerable level. The Government is providing all infrastructure facilities to industrialists who are to invest in the industrial sector. The Government has also provided enough fundamental facilities to the tourism sector simultaneously.

There are so many tourism attractions along the coastal belt of Sri Lanka such as Pasikkudah, Arugam Bay and Punnakkudah most important destinations along the Eastern coastal belt. The Kalpitiya islands will also be developed into a major tourism hub.

The Government has also paid attention towards promoting inland tourism. In Sri Lanka, currently foreign and domestic tourists are familiar only with beach tourism. There are many inland tourism attractions. The foreign tourists who visit the coastal belt should be encouraged to visit inland tourism destinations. Foreign tourists are keen to visit various inland tourism attractions, the Investment Promotion Ministry sources said.

The sources said that the foreign tourists who visit the southern region mainly go to Hikkaduwa, Tangalle and Matara beaches. Due to unawareness about beautiful tourism attractions out of beach tourism the foreign tourists refrain from visiting inland tourism destinations. They should be made aware of the richness of inland tourism attractions. A mechanism is required to attract them towards inland tourism. The support of private sector is also crucial to achieve the target. Inland tourism can be promoted based on the resources available in the area. In the case of Deniyaya, the famous Sinharaja forest is situated. So many beautiful tea plantations are also situated in the area.

Lumbini Estate in Deniyaya has come forward to help to promote the inland tourism by setting up an outlet. The tourists who visit the estate will be allowed to visit the factory and to see the production process. They can enjoy their day in the estate. For instance, the tourists who visit Deniyaya area receive an opportunity to visit nearby Sinharaja forest. It will be a boon to improve the inland tourism. The Lumbini Estate opened its first outlet at a ceremony held under the patronage of Ministers Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and Mahinda Samarasinghe.

Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena has initiated a tourism promotion program in Deniyaya where permission will be granted for the tourists to visit nearby tea estates in Deniyaya which will be a pathway to promote inland tourism, according to Ministry sources.

Enough infrastructure facilities have been developed to promote tourism and industrial sectors. Unemployment among the youth in the region can be minimised by a considerable level when these two sectors are developed simultaneously.

Hambantota based industrial sector development program is functional now. The road network required to industrial sector has already been developed. All main roads have been developed in the manner to facilitate the industrial sector. Matara, Deniyaya and Oorubokka areas are famous for agricultural products. Development of the road network has made the transportation of vegetables and other harvests to Hambantota easy and quick, according to Minister Abeywardena. A land has been identified in Mararala to set up an industrial park. Based in Hambantota a huge development will take place in the southern region, the Minister noted.

After opening the tea outlet at Lumbini Tea Estate, Minister Abeywardena said that the tea industry has turned into the third highest income generator of the country. Foreign employment takes first place.

He said that to protect the tea industry is compulsory because a large number of the work force depends on this industry. In 2013 the tea industry alone recorded an income of US$ 1,542 billion. Nearly 90 percent tea is produced from Asian countries out of 40 countries which produce tea.

Only seven countries are in a prominent place out of those countries which produce tea. Out of those seven countries China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya take a prominent place.

"We face many challenges in the industry. Depending on the superiority we gained we have to move forward by another 45 percent. In future we should be able to face these challenges when we go forward at least by another 30 percent. We will face this challenge in the future. There are 397,000 small tea estates in the tea growing areas of this country. There are nearly 60,000 small tea estates in the Matara district out of them. We have a huge responsibility in this industry. We need not depend on green tea.

In the European countries the demand for black tea has increased by 0.6 percent. It is a great benefit to Sri Lanka", Minister Abeywardena said.