A research body to assess the growing trends of global tourism needs to be created in Sri Lanka by a recognized tourism institution to update all stakeholders on the exact trends in the tourismarena, a tourism expert said.
Citrus Leisure PLC Chairman Prema Cooray noted that although this would have been impossible during the time of war, over the last five years, the rapid changes that have taken place islandwide have brought unprecedented growth in potential.
“I would like to emphasize the fact that with these changes it is now imperative to generate research fortourism statistics and to discover the current dynamics of the distribution system,” he told shareholders.
Meanwhile, the chairman stated that there is a sad lack of quality, skills and talent within the industry, which needs to be improved.
“Our industry has the potential for anyone to grow in and we have to make a conscious effort to work with school leavers and show them what we have to offer and thus create an appetite for tourism,” he stressed.
According to Cooray, the lack of skill and talent is mainly because of the lack of awareness about tourism and it is the responsibility of the industry to promote itself as a lucrative career path for the youth of the nation.
He further said that Sri Lanka needs to recognize the vast potential of around 120 million tourists expected to travel annually from India and China.
“The Chinese market has had a significant impact in all tourism-generating countries and Sri Lanka is no exception. It is thus a challenge for us and for the whole world, to cater to tourists from these emerging markets,” the chairman noted.
Cooray pointed out that a clear knowledge of language, culture and preferences is a necessity for further growth.
“Sri Lanka has a huge challenge in this sense, as opposed to other regional players like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, who understand the requirements of the Chinese tourist much better,” he said.
Sri Lanka Travel Feneteko