Sri Lanka’s goal of 2.5 million tourist arrivals by 2016 is ‘not ambitious enough’ considering the intake of countries such as the Maldives (1 million), Cambodia (6-7 million), Thailand (15 million) and Malaysia (25 million), according to the country’s IF Resident Representative Dr. Koshy Mathai. Further, he also added that this sector had a critical [...]

The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

SL’s 2.5 mln tourist goal ‘not ambitious enough’ – IMF Rep

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Sri Lanka’s goal of 2.5 million tourist arrivals by 2016 is ‘not ambitious enough’ considering the intake of countries such as the Maldives (1 million), Cambodia (6-7 million), Thailand (15 million) and Malaysia (25 million), according to the country’s IF Resident Representative Dr. Koshy Mathai.

Further, he also added that this sector had a critical role to play in the economy because Sri Lanka needed to build up its exports, which were about US$ 10 billion a year, which was particularly important since imports were about $20 billion a year.
Dr. Mathai also commented that this $10 billion import export gap could not be filled only by borrowing, or even the large amount of remittances received by Sri Lankans working abroad, which would only hold up for the medium term. Ultimately, in the long term, this gap would have to be filled by tourism which would result in major contributions to the export sector, the economy and economic stability.

Making these comments at the recently concluded EU-SWITCH Asia Greening Hotels Awards 2013 in Colombo, where he was the keynote speaker, Dr. Mathai also opined that the “silver lining of our cloud of war [was] we did not have over-development”. He elaborated that this meant that, rather than designing for a tourist sector for which the country had to make accommodations, there was the opportunity to design an “ideal”, and sustainable, tourist sector.

He also noted that awards programmes such as these were a necessary link to a market reward, which could then be used in marketing hotel properties as sustainable for interested customers. However, he noted that the hospitality industry still had work to do on areas such as turning the traditional hospitality that Sri Lankans were known for, into better service standards at hotels, which were still lagging. In addition, there was a need for improved transportation options, shopping, casinos, gambling, etc all of which fit into a broader idea of a package of offerings for tourists visiting Sri Lanka.

Also at the event, David Daly, newly installed EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation, in his first official local engagement, reiterated the EU’s commitment to sustainability, saying that the organisation spent seven billion Euros annually on climate change related projects. He also added that a child born today would, by adulthood, see the world’s population grow by approximately three billion more people, which would require 45 per cent more energy, 50 per cent more food and 30 per cent more water, in terms of resources needed, resulting in a significant relative increase with regards to climate change impact. He also noted that the most recent United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had established that it was “unequivocal” that climate change was occurring, signalling a 95 per cent certainty that human beings were impacting the climate.

Mr. Daly also commented that there are three sectors, construction, transport and food, which were currently responsible for 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the effect on climate change, with all three sectors “inextricably linked” to the hospitality sector. He also added that the challenge for Sri Lanka was to continue to grow its hospitality sector, but in a sustainable manner.

Held for the second consecutive year, the EU-SWITCH Asia Greening Hotels Awards recognised small, medium, large and boutique hotels under two verticals, SME hotels (below 50 rooms), and large and boutique hotels (above 50 rooms). These hotels were awarded in categories including best green hotel, best green hotel runner-up, water conservation champion, waste management champion, etc. 2013′s big winners, the best green hotels category, were Hunas Falls Hotel (SME hotels) and Cinnamon Lodge (large and boutique hotels).

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