Chinese fast taking over as Sri Lanka’s biggest inbound traveller
View(s):These tourism trends emerged at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) 2-day annual summit 2017 held in Negombo on Friday. The meeting which brought together between 200-300 delegates from Sri Lanka and abroad provides huge exposure for Sri Lanka, which was picked from many other contenders to host the 2017 gathering.
Tourism Minister John Amaratunga, welcoming foreign delegates from many countries, said they were overjoyed when Sri Lanka won the bid to host this annual summit which brings industry experts from all over the world to discuss current trends and network among their colleagues.
Singing the praises of Sri Lanka and tourism in general, the Minister said tourism revenue this year is estimated to be over US$4 billion against $3.5 billion in 2016, beating traditional foreign exchange winners like agriculture and industrial exports.
He said hosting PATA, the most powerful industrial travel body in this region, is one of the best things to happen in the country.
Like many other speakers that followed, the Minister touched on social media and the other disruptive elements in the industry.
In his remarks, Taleb Rifai, Secretary General (SG) – World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) spoke on the ‘wonders’ of Sri Lanka as a destination that he has come to love.
He said this is the age of travel with millions exploring and crossing borders and cited two key areas that determine the world today: the travel revolution and the digital revolution. “We need to use technology to develop better and new experiences, along with same, secure and seamless travel,” he said.
Noting that this is likely to be his last official assignment as he winds down as SG, Dr. Rifai, said that people travel to places that they respect. “Travellers don’t go to places they don’t respect,”
On a personal note, he said he came from a generation that was aware of ‘Bandaranaike’ (late Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike) long before learning about Sri Lanka.
Andrew Jones, Chairman – PATA, spoke of the impressive strides made by Sri Lanka in tourism and quoted official data which reveals that China would be the biggest tourism source market this year with arrivals estimated to be higher than India, currently Sri Lanka’s main client.
Keynote speaker Rafat Ali, Founder/CEO of US-based Skift, touted as the largest industry intelligence and travel platform in the world, spoke about the current and future disruptive trends in the industry.
He said there is a kind of digital download today and travellers are increasingly seeking a human touch to technology, not relying on technology alone. “We need to put a human face to travel,” he said.
Another interesting area based on research was that the 50+ age group is a growing travel segment. “Many in this age group are travelling,” he added.
After the age of low cost short haul carriers, the next big thing to happen in the aviation and travel industry is low cost long haul carriers.