Some 30% of tourists opt for boutique hotels, home stays
View(s):Home stays, a popular mode of tourism accommodation these days, is set to rise to 500 units this year from 143 in 2011, Deputy Economic Development Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana said.
He said the home stay units include boutique hotels, boutique villas, home stay units, guest houses and heritage homes. Tourism industry officials last week said that home stays now account for 30 per cent of inbound tourist traffic.
Mr Abeywardana was speaking on the “Tourism industry and future prospects” at the Key Persons Forum (KPF) in Trincomalee recently organized by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) and Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Trincomalee District.
According to a statement issued by the FCCISL on the meeting, the deputy minister said that Vakarai and Pulmoddai in the East are set for development.
He also referred to a project with an investment of nearly US$4 billion to build a heavy industries complex around the Trincomalee Port. The first phase of the project which includes the development of the deep water jetty and the stockpiling facility is valued at $700 million. The project is estimated to generate 3,500 direct and 20,000 indirect jobs. He said at least 60 per cent of the workforce needs to come from the district and this could be achieved by establishing local vocational training centres which will turn out trained workers.
The FCCISL’s KNP is held in different regions and the Trincomalee event was the third in the series.
It was attended by more than 100 participants compromising hoteliers, travel agents, service providers, small scale suppliers attached to the tourism industry, governmental representatives.
Hafiz Nazeer Ahamed, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Production, Rural Industries and Tourism of Eastern Provincial Council, said the council is geared to promote and develop efficient tourist services within the province. He noted that their mandate to encourage the stakeholders of the tourism industry to promote package tours to increase tourist arrivals and encourage the investors of both local and foreign to invest in tourism development projects in the province.
Among the questions raised from the audience were the lack of destination marketing particularly of Trincomalee (as a tourism destination), lack of skilled staff and training providers available in the industry, no railway connectivity, land ownership issues and waste management.
Follow @timesonlinelk
comments powered by Disqus