Financial Times

In a bid to upgrade the tourism industry, the Ministry of Tourism (MOT), the Tourist Hotel’s Association of Sri Lanka (THASL), Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and the Canadian Executive Service Organisation (CESO), entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), recently.

The MoU is designed to source volunteer consultants in upgrading of knowledge, skills and competencies among hotels and tour operators to provide assistance in developing new products together with marketing strategies.

Dr. P. Ramanujam, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism told The Sunday Times FT that the present tourism approach should be to showcase products and services that Sri Lanka has to offer tourists. However, the focus has been shifted from mass tourism to the up market clientele that seem promising, with a 27 percent increase in tourist arrivals seen in March this year. “Terrorism is no longer an issue confined to South Asia. People have realised that it is an unpredictable situation,” Dr. Ramanujam said.

The MoU expected to cover hoteliers and travel service providers, will prove to come in handy with these two sectors working hand-in–glove, Dr. Ramanujam said. He added further that this MoU would ensure that a proper streamline be developed to assist the industry.

Though there are concerns in the tourism sector considering the country’s present situation, Dr. Ramanujam believes the right amount of propaganda would bounce tourism back saying, “With Travel Mart to take place in the near future, the industry is positive in its future activities.” According to industry analysts tourist arrivals are expected to surpass 600,000 provided the country is free of adverse political conditions.