The article with the link is a time for
soul searching and a complete rethink on how we must approach Tourism, a
potential game changer for the development of Sri Lanka for the next 20 years
if handled properly.
An example of the level of ignorance and
lack of vision of our politicians is highlighted in the asinine statements made
by our Tourism Ministers in the attached link!
Obviously, they have not still
appreciated that we are not able to properly service our tourists who arrive
now, how on earth without a proper plan can we accommodate 4M is an indication
of why we must chase these Ministers into the SEA! It is not about hotel rooms,
it is about the carrying capacity of the Island and how many we can hold at one
time, without putting undue pressure on infrastructure, which is already
overloaded. We for example have already ruined YALA, so that by next year no
tourist worth any value, will pay to go to YALA! Unless we have at last 10 more
YALAS we cannot even digest this number.
So you MORONS in Tourism, it is NOT a
numbers game, it is about a quality of experiencing the most UNIQUE island on
the face of the EARTH. You guys have NO clue how to manage this product. You do
not know how to organize the overall product, so that 1 Million high rollers,
can give this Country more without ruining its pristineness than the envisaged
4M.
We don’t have even the service personnel
to give current tourists a contended vacation, how we are to give 4M is not
even on the cards. Don’t forget the best in the profession leave for greener
pastures as the working conditions are not sufficient to retain them. You
cannot cater to boozy Russians and pay an average minimum of Rs100K a month to
a person in the Tourist Trade (minimum that is required to retain good people
in Sri Lanka) SO YOU MUST go up market to those willing to spend US$500 a day, and
it is to that tourist that this Country is attractive, and can actually value the
overall experience.
The current crop of hotels are lousy, their
standards are lousy, and the product is lousy, and it is ONLY by improving quality
that Sri Lanka can survive profitably in this business, giving the rewards that
the Country EXPECTS!
FIRST WE NEED A HOLISTIC PLAN AND A VISION FROM WHICH THIS PLAN CAN EVOLVE
Well said. The problem is the Johnnies tasked with making plans cant even keep their dick down, how can they begin to comprehend the scale of the task ahead.
ReplyDeleteJust remove politics from Tourism, and let a foreign expert design and implement the whole system, so that the petty local interests who don't know anything about tourism don't get in the way.
Actually if truth be told, it is always those outside of the Country who know best what the Country can offer and how it is maximized to benefit the Country and the overall satisfaction of the Tourist to recommend to others.
At present Sri Lanka is so lousy, that it has the lowest recommendation level of any visitor to this Country, the true gauge of the value of the product