I don’t think we are on the right track as yet. There is an upturn, but that is only a glimmer of what we could achieve if we get our tourism product right. The tourism sector is private sector driven, and the authorities must either let them run it, and play the key supporting role in terms of related policy and infrastructure development.
Or else, they must get properly involved with the right human and intellectual and resource capital to drive the sector together like what we see in countries like Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea. If tourism is in fact identified as a key development sector, then it is critical that we get the right people to run it. This must become an efficient public-private partnership.
The policy must look at supporting the hoteliers’ needs for training and concessionary capital to carry out necessary upgrades to hotels. Also, it would be good to get the Departments of Archaeology and Wildlife (product-related sectors) into a ‘think-tank’ of sorts so that a more complete solution would emerge.
Darshana Abayasingha,
Marketing professional/freelance journalist |
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