Financial Times

Point of View
Tourist Board – a waste of time and money
The Sri Lanka Tourist Board is a total flop and we are happy that there are efforts to restructure it. But is that enough?
The board is full of political henchmen, etc given top posts on political agendas and it is being highlighted through the lack of administrative knowledge, skill and misdirection of funds etc in all activities, promotional campaigns and trade exhibitions in which we are all witnesses. We have collectively voiced our concerns and consequences long time ago to present and past ministers.

Successful campaigns and promotional activities are organized by individual hoteliers and tour operators on a collective basis where we bear our own costs though we pay a huge tax levy to the SLTB and the government.
Sri Lanka Tourism as it stands now is mainly due to private sector participation. This is a fact and reality which no one will dare refute.
The only thing the SLTB is good at is collecting statistics and research data from other establishments and publishing them as their own and to elaborate and comment on the said findings.

SLTB lost its credibility long time and this was proven the way the tsunami was handled as they were not in a position to govern or command authority for displaced tourists. Many of the displaced were not taken care or facilitated properly. They were simply housed at the B.M.I.C.H. although many of the city hotels and establishments had the capacity and capability to facilitate the need of the hour. Their necessities and administration were done mainly through their own diplomatic circles and private individuals.

Many hotels have now neglected the renewal of licenses and even not paid the TDL (tourism development levy) due to the frustration of lack of administrative professionalism. There is a breakdown in the public administration system because many of the cadre absorbed comprises ex cooks, waiters etc who are not familiar with public administration.

Even if the government is really willing to lend a hand for the development of tourism in the country the SLTB should be scrapped entirely because the real authority in developing the tourism sector lies with the respective urban councils, divisional secretariats, municipal councils, urban development authority, etc for without their participation all efforts would be fruitless. This is complete logic and if a bit of common sense is applied even a layman could understand how it works. Everyone talks about tourism infrastructure development all the time but how can tourism infrastructure development be achieved without the above?

Even to start a tourism establishment first you need to get clearance and approval from the relevant local authorities in the area, for without it no one can proceed further. Shouldn’t the above be given priority and participation in tourism development in their own prospective regions rather than "A big SLTB sitting in Colombo?”

Should the SLTB be given preference over public health inspectors in the area who meet on a day to day basis whereas the SLTB is to be encountered only once a year for the maintenance of standards and this they certainly do very well by eating and drinking and having a gala time?

When there is a Tourism Ministry does it necessitate having another entity for the same purpose? Is it because the government has too much money and that was behind the recent pay hike of 75% only to this entity and not to other public entities? Why the increase of such a large magnitude? What is the ulterior motive behind? Was it to assure secrecy and concealment of activities or to promote hidden political agendas?

The Tourism Ministry should ensure and facilitate the coordination and development of this sector through regional and divisional authorities so as to make sure all have a hand and given the opportunity to have a share in this sector. This is what should have been done long ago.

There should be a decentralization situation where the village folks are given a share rather than restrict the tourism sector to a few affluent individuals through the SLTB where the land of the villagers are grabbed by the board through their powers given to various individuals. Even now plans are underway to distribute the land of the affected of the tsunami (coastal belt) as tourism development. One must not forget that the village folk are also sons and daughters of this land and thus shouldn’t they be also entitled to a fair share?? Some of the affluent are found to be regulators, restrictors and tourism developers through the SLTB for their own gain.

Even if the SLTB is restructured to the tourism development authority to facilitate the enforcement of regulation, research and development the possibility of it being a very viable entity is in serious doubt given its present outlook. However if it means doing something positive than doing nothing at all – then at least it’s a step in the right direction.

A veteran hotelier
Colombo

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