Generating a pocket-full of ideas for a positive travel experience
The Cinnamon Future of Tourism Summit which opens this week in Colombo on Tuesday September 26, is expected to generate a plethora of ideas in technology, innovation and authenticity to energise the travel experience, not only for Sri Lanka but the rest of the global travel community.
Krishan Balendra
Organising officials said the summit would also help to understand how the global travel industry is shifting and evolving, so that informed decisions can be made in relation to the industry’s growth.
Krishan Balendra, President of the Leisure Sector of the John Keells Group which owns and manages the Cinnamon brand of resorts, said there are many reasons for hosting this summit bi-annually.
“Tourism arrivals have gone up to 2.2 million from 500,000 in the post-war period. Over 10,000 rooms were added to the industry with another 10,000 in the pipeline. As we gear ourselves for the future growth in tourism, it is important to address issues like how we will manage our environment, how we will bring the best practices of sustainability into the equation and the authenticity of destinations which act as a magnet to attract visitors,” he said in comments released to the Business Times.
He pointed out that Sri Lanka is on a growth projectile, which makes it imperative that the country’s assets are utilised responsibly, retaining their diversity and quality control as the destination grows.
The world population has grown 184 per cent in the last 63 years. International travel has grown over 4000 per cent during the same period as people have become wealthier. Thus, he points out, “With over a billion people travelling across the globe currently, this figure is expected to double in 10 years. For a destination like Sri Lanka, it’s important to be future-ready, and plan our growth with the right knowledge and in the right direction”.
The event features speakers who will address topics relevant to technology, innovation and authenticity and share the wealth of knowledge and experiences. The earlier 2015 summit dealt with the theme”Responsible Travel for Driving Revenue” and featured 12 internationally and locally acclaimed speakers.
This year’s summit is expected to be attended by approximately 400 participants and will feature 14 global travel and tourism experts, with the keynote by the Executive Editor of Travel at CNN.
Discussing the event further, Mr. Balendra stated, “The tourism industry has witnessed consistent growth in arrivals since the end of the conflict. To sustain the present level of growth fundamental additions and improvements are required in general infrastructure and connectivity”.
He said new hotel projects will help to achieve the national target of building 75,000 rooms to cater to 4.5 million tourist arrivals by 2020. While the numbers have grown significantly since the end of the conflict, 2 million arrivals a year is small compared to the tourist arrivals seen in other regional countries. The tourism industry in Eastern and Northern Sri Lanka continues to grow with local and foreign investors, focusing their attention on harnessing the high potential for tourism in these provinces.
‘We are looking at a future that is likely to be increasingly competitive. However, overall growth in tourism and increased business activity are likely to augur well for the future. While competition will indeed become more intense in the immediate future, we believe that our uniquely differentiated brand proposition is equipped to overcome these challenges. The group will continue to focus on marketing and promotions, expansion, and on enhancing our value proposition,” he added.