Govt. to mill coffers from tourism after WA runs dry
The government is looking at increasing its income by cashing in on the lucrative tourism industry in the wake of the recent setbacks it has made following a drop in the money earned through its citizens in the Middle East (West Asia).
Tourism and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga said on Monday that with the income earned through the Sri Lankan labour force in West Asia reducing, this gap could be bridged through the development of tourism. The minister was addressing the media briefing held at the Ramada Hotel in Colombo to announce the Tourism Leaders Summit 2017 scheduled to take place on October 4.
He pointed out that the state run hotel school was trying to bring about a competent workforce to the industry who unfortunately opt to work overseas but “we don’t try to stop it.”
He noted that developing the higher strata of people was imperative to cash in on a higher income level from this sector.
Sri Lanka is targeting tourist arrivals numbering 2.5 million this year with earnings expected to reach about US$4 billion about which the minister was positive.
Minister Amaratunga also pointed out that the Colombo University was trying to bridge the gap between the human resources and the industry which should remain connected in a bid to becoming the highest foreign exchange earner in the country.
Founder and Coordinator of Master in Tourism Economics and Hotel Management at the University of Colombo, Dr. Suranga Silva said that tourism and travel today has become “mass customisation.”
He noted that they provide tourism education at different levels and the main focus of the summit was to provide an equal partnership platform for tourism academics, professionals and industry personnel.
Held for the third consecutive year the, Tourism Leaders’ Summit and International Tourism Research Symposium 2017 is conducted on the theme “Sustainable Tourism for development – Way Forward for Sri Lanka.”
About 16 internationally acknowledged speakers are billed to take part in the summit that would be held alongside a series of fringe events like the Tourism Seminar on September 10, the Tourism Day Walk on September 17, Industry Interactive Cricket Match on September 24 and the Tree Planting on September 25.
A participation of about 1500 is expected at the Rs.17 million-cost summit that has received a major part of its funds from sponsors.
The summit will discuss four key topics namely: “Sri Lanka Tourism Vision 2025: A Contemporary Review of Sri Lanka Tourism Vision 2025,” “Role of Diplomatic Missions and the International Organisations for Sri Lanka Tourism,” “Global Best Practices for Sustainable Tourism in Sri Lanka,” and “Implementation of Key Driving Forces for Future of Sri Lanka Tourism – 2020.”
The research symposium will be held on October 3, ahead of the summit with academics set to present papers on five areas namely: Inclusive and sustainable economic growth; Social inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction; Resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change; Cultural values, diversity and heritage; and Mutual understanding, peace and security.
The event organised by the Alumni Association of the Tourism Economics and Hospitality Management (ATEHM), the Department of Economics of the Colombo University and the Tourism Ministry together with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) is held in line with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) celebrations to mark World Tourism Day on September 27.