New direction with IoH
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Dr. Harsha Jayaisnghe recently appointed new Chairperson of Institute of Hospitality (IoH)– Sri Lanka Chapter for the year 2022/2033. He took over the baton from the outgoing Chairperson Renuka Jayamaha at the 30th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Sri Lanka Chapter.
The Institute of Hospitality UK is the world-wide professional body for hospitality professionals in the Hospitality industry (Leisure and Tourism Industries), which evolved significantly since it was established in 1938. The Institute supports its members throughout their careers, through dissemination of the latest industry information. Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka Chapter is a member of the IH UK.
In keeping with the Institute of Hospitality (UK), the primary purpose of the IoH Sri Lanka Chapter is to promote the highest professional standards of management and education in the international hospitality, leisure and tourism industries.
Addressing the occasion Dr. Jayasinghe elaborated how tourism has become an income generator which is needed to protect, conserve and enhance Sri Lanka’s natural environment as well as the tangible and intangible cultural and historic assets. “Since 2019, hospitality sector employees suffered with salary cuts, losing jobs and so on. Their dreams shattered and their hopes vanished as a result. Because of this more skilled employees tend to leave the country for overseas employment, especially in the Maldives Gulf countries. The immigration reports say that at least 32 per cent industry expertise in Sri Lanka leave the country for foreign employment’ he noted.
‘The emigration statistics revealed that at least 32% of tourism industry experts had left the country for foreign employment, and 32 Sri Lankans left for greener pastures every hour, since early this year due to the current economic downturn, said Dr. Harsha Jayasinghe, the newly elected Chairman of Institute of Hospitality.
Dr. Jayasinghe said majority of Sri Lankan population still does not view tourism as a sector that is good enough for their children to build careers in and highlighted the importance of changing that mindset. In addition to the shortage of skilled staff at all levels and professions, he said it has led to a failure to identify and foster talent. Elaborating that although 52 per cent of the total population of the country is women, they are highly under-represented in the tourism industry.
Dr. Jayasinghe pledged that he is ready to go an extra mile to revive the tourism and hospitality industry in the country. ‘We, as industry professionals who represent IoH, are working closely with all other professional organisations such as CHSGA, THASL, SLITO, and Chefs Guild of Lanka to align their mutual goals towards the benefit of the industry. As the newly elected Chairperson of the IoH, it is my goal to get all these stakeholders together and build a network to develop the hospitality industry in Sri Lanka as a sustainable one’ he said.
Dr. Jayasinghe is the current General Manager of Pandanus Beach Resort & Spa in Induruwa . He holds over 30 years of leisure industry exposure within Sri Lanka as well as overseas.
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