Financial Times

Year of tourism or conflict
2006 has been declared the South Asia Year of Tourism and countries in the region are already into the promotion phase. However where does Sri Lanka fit into this picture?

Nepal, under international pressure for the crackdown on civil liberties including media freedom, has chosen Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the world’s best batsman, as its goodwill ambassador to desperately boost its international image. Here in Sri Lanka we have the travel and trade sectors up in arms against the head of the main tourism promotion authority. There is chaos in the industry, although it may not be seen or experienced by travellers or overseas industry players.

At a time when there is wide disagreement between the industry, in which more than 90 percent is controlled by the private sector, and Udaya Nanayakkara, chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism who simply refuses to quit or discuss the future with the industry, where do we go from here?

Nanayakkara has stayed put, backed by Tourism Minister Anura Bandaranaike, even though President Mahinda Rajapaksa wanted him replaced. Untimately the President’s nominee, Bennet Cooray was appointed a member of the board and Nanayakkara reappointed.

The Minister hasn’t responded to requests from the trade for a meeting for several months while there hasn’t been any proper communication even with Nanayakkara. So here we are in 2006 and celebrating the SAARC Year of Tourism and look at the plight of our industry?

The role of tourism promotion is a joint effort by the government and the private sector, the latter in fact playing a much bigger role and that also being enhanced in the new tourism structure.

That’s why the private sector is heavily represented at international tourist trade fairs with a sprinkling of government officials and the minister. This relationship has soured in recent months and promotion is a one way street -- the Tourist Board going its own way and the trade doing its own thing.

There has also been disagreement between Singapore based PR agency Batey and the board, the latest being over the WOMAD festival and as to whose responsibility it was to get sponsors. WOMAD organisers have submitted a non-payment claim of Rs.18 million to the Tourist Board after last year’s mega festival in Colombo.

The Tourism Minister recently obtained approval from the President for a special committee to re-examine the new Tourism Development Authority Act on the grounds that it was driven by the business community and not the government.

The new legislation was approved by the tourism sector cluster in the National Council for Economic Development under former President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s purview.

Although Nanayakkara was a member of this group he had made some comments on the proposed legislation but didn’t give his endorsement.
Sri Lanka has lost its glitter as the most sought after destination in the region after the tsunami and a breakdown in the peace process. Now that peace talks are getting on track, one hopes this would cheer the industry and provide some confidence to travellers to return to a country that has much to offer.

Sri Lanka cannot afford the drama in the industry and the Tourist Board’s determination to go it alone in a sector where private sector input is vital if not compulsory.

The sooner this dispute ends the better it is for the country and the economy.
On the other hand, one wonders how many are aware that 2006 is the Year of Tourism in South Asia? Meanwhile the minister is away in Borobudur which has one of the world’s most famous Buddhist shrines while Nanayakkara is in Geneva attending the convention of the United Federation of Travel Agents in his capacity as a past president of this organisation.

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