Sri Lanka adopts smart destination management and IoT to attract more tourists
Sri Lanka is adopting innovative measures to leverage information technology for tourism, aiming to meet the needs of travellers worldwide, according to Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman, Priantha Fernando.
He emphasised the necessity for all industry stakeholders to join hands in promoting tourism with discipline and responsibility, especially considering the challenging turnaround from the 2021 crisis.
Key strategies include smart destination management and the Internet of Things (IoT), which have become essential to meet travellers’ expectations.
The country has completed almost all short-term tourism development initiatives, setting the stage to achieve the target of 2.5 million tourists and US$4-$5 billion in revenue this year.
Tourist arrivals reached 1.01 million in the first six months of the year, a 62 per cent increase from the same period in 2023. By June 2024, tourism earnings had risen to over $1.5 billion, marking a 78 per cent year-on-year increase despite a slight month-on-month decline.
Mr. Fernando highlighted the country’s commitment to a forward-looking approach, moving away from the ad-hoc policies and conventional systems of previous regimes.
However, several travel agents and small to medium-scale hotel owners in southern and upcountry regions expressed concerns that tourist arrivals and hotel accommodations outside Colombo did not meet their expectations.
They noted a decline in arrivals from over 200,000 in the first three months of 2024 compared to later months. Sena Suriyapperuma, owner of the luxury camping site “Wild Trail Yala by Suri,” reported a drop in travellers compared to 2023, with a decrease in bookings from India, China, and Russia.
He noted that tourists from these countries tend to stay in specific areas, with Indians mainly in Colombo and Russians at the beachside, leaving fewer visitors in popular destinations like Mirissa, Yala, and Ella.
Mr. Suriyapperuma mentioned that bookings for August are 50 per cent lower than the previous year, leading to low expectations for September, October and November.
Travel agents confirmed the lack of international inquiries for summer, relying only on winter bookings. To operate a camping site, small-scale hotel, or villa, at least 50 per cent capacity bookings are necessary.
Small operators are increasingly dependent on international booking engines like Booking.com, Agoda, and Expedia, which charge commissions of 15-18 per cent, leaving little surplus for business operations., he said.
Mirissa, a popular tourist destination known for its coconut tree hills, compact beaches, whale watching, swimming, surfing, and partying, is also experiencing similar challenges, a medium-scale hotel owner in the area said.
Responding to these complaints, the SLTDA head said that 75 per cent of travellers visit Sri Lanka during the peak tourism period (November to April), while only 25 per cent arrive during the low season (May to October).
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