News
Tourism day events cast wide net at youth
View(s):By Wasantha Ramanayake
World Tourism Day celebrations in Sri Lanka will be marked with the Colombo Travel Mart at One Galle Face, Colombo, on September 27. At the culmination of various events will be the 10th International Tourism Leaders’ Summit with the participation of global and local tourism industry leaders and experts.
Under the theme “Sustainable Transformation”, declared by the UN tourism body UNWTO, sustainability and the inclusiveness of the industry, these events
highlight the central role of youth in shaping the future of tourism, said the head of the sustainable unit of the Colombo University (SUUOC), Professor Suranga Silva.
With growing awareness of sustainable and responsible tourism internationally, minimising pollution and giving a fair share for persons involved in tourism, five main events are organised by SUUOC and its alumnae associations with the support of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the Tourism Ministry and affiliated industry associations.
Coinciding with the international tourism day, Colombo Travel Mart will open with 75 exhibition stalls at One Galle Face on September 27. According to Prof. Silva. Local tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers, and various other tourism service providers would have opportunities to showcase their tourism offerings to both local and international businesses.
CTM is to be developed as the industry’s key business meeting place in the country, Prof. Silva said.
The event mainly attracts foreign tour operators to partner with the local tourism products and service providers.
Followed by the CTM at the same venue on September 28 will be the Sri Lanka Tourism Job Fair & Career Expo. Prof. Silva said that the SUUOC and its alumnae are providing career guidance.
School competitions were held under three categories: culinary, beverage and housekeeping at provincial levels, SUUOC alumnae vice-president Indika Gonawela explained. “In the hospitality sector most people ‘accidentally’ found themselves there, which results in higher employee turnover.’’
“We strive to find persons who are really interested in the hospitality sector from schools. “This is one of the many paths school children could tread to their future,” noted Prof. Silva. He said that students from all nine provinces participated in provincial-level competitions from September 1. The final competition will be held at the Water’s Edge Hotel, Colombo, with around 200 provincial-level finalists. “Inclusiveness is part of the sustainability, so we gave the opportunity to the schoolchildren representing all nine provinces.”
Provincial-level awareness programmes were held for SME sector tourism entrepreneurs, he said.
These were held parallel to the school programmes at the provincial level, and the main event will be held at the BMICH in Colombo on October 2, he said, adding that 60% of tourism service providers are in the informal sector without registering with any regulatory bodies such as the SLTDA.
“The idea is to bring down representatives of regulatory and other relevant state agencies and various associations to meet the SME tourism operators at provincial levels to address issues such as registration, certifications, etc., and get them into the formal sector.”
According to Prof. Silva, the 10th International Tourism Research Conference, where scholars from over 20 countries along with local researchers are expected to present their findings focusing on “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”, will be at BMICH on October 1. “These findings and insights could be invaluable in the decision-making for the development of the industry.”
Local industry leaders and international experts will gather to talk on challenges, possible remedies and policy in the tourism industry at the 10th International Tourism Leaders’ Summit and share their knowledge at the BMICH on October 1 and 2.
Had the industry been properly trained and prepared, it would have faced the Easter Sunday bomb attack shock, the coronavirus pandemic and the economic collapse; it could have minimised the possible shocks, Prof. Silva observed, emphasising the importance of the involvement of universities with the industry to face such challenges effectively and to make Sri Lankan tourism more sustainable.
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