Bad and ugly for a handful, good for the majority: SLAITO

Tourism is today one of the key sectors of growth in the country and a major contributor to progress in construction, and the skills and services sectors. The industry has seen substantial growth and with good planning holds every promise of continuing this commendable record of benefit to the country.
It is, therefore, necessary at the outset for the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) to express our appreciation of the contribution made by Sri Lanka Tourism to support the industry’s continuing drive ahead across all its sectors – the small, medium and large scale operators.
Since the defeat of terrorism in the country in 2009, which brought peace and also ended the conditions of a prolonged drought for tourism, the steady progress of the industry is seen by the remarkable annual growth statistics of 46.1% in 2010, 30.8% in 2011, 17.5% in 2012 and 26.7% in 2013. The leap to 46.1% in 2010 was evitable because it came with the arrival of peace and the opening of almost two-thirds of the country, hitherto closed, to the opportunities for tourism.
With the industry steadily moving ahead, we see it as the duty of stakeholders such as the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), The Hotels’ Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises in Tourism (ASMET) and others associated with the industry to join hands to support Sri Lanka Tourism and other related authorities in their continuing efforts to build the industry.
We see this as more important than seeking to highlight minor lapses or shortcomings in its continuing efforts at progress. This is not a rejection of criticism, which is necessary when well focused, but is regrettable when it displays a personal agenda rather than the larger interests of what is clearly a vital sector of development.
Disparity in figures
In this context, we at SLAITO appreciate some well evaluated facts about the tourism industry as presented by Srilal Miththapala in his article ‘A look back at Sri Lanka Tourism: The good, the bad and the ugly’ (Daily FT 29 January 2014). However, most of the points he raises are to be regretted. Corrections of disparity between the Immigration authorities and some errors in the records of Sri Lanka Tourism are given undue importance, being matters of a minor nature, giving the impression of seeking to make a mountain of a molehill.
On the matter of the projected statistics for arrivals in 2013, quoting the Director General of Tourism Dr. D.S. Jayaweera’s figures given in the Daily FT of 29 July 2013 at this stage is highly unethical, because these figures were corrected by Dr. Jayaweera the very next day.
At a recent presentation to industry stakeholders by Sri Lanka Tourism, which included SLAITO, THASL and ASMET, it was clearly explained how such disparity in figures came about, and no issue was raised about it by the currently active members of the Industry. However, in moving on to aspects of promotion of the industry, especially with regard to branding the concept of the ‘Small Miracle,’ which has been rejected in principle due to its wider negativity in evaluation, the writer gives the impression of pursuing a personal agenda that seeks to promote the cause of a former employee of Sri Lanka Tourism. Such ego boosting exercises, to which the writer seems to have been drawn, do not help the industry in the wider context.
While the work of a special promotion in France by one organisation is appreciated, such good work has not been confined to a single organisation. Many promotions have been done successfully by members of SLAITO, in France and other markets too. This singular praise is a non-recognition of the wider work done by many others, and shows an attempt at heaping praise on an organisation or an individual as against the need for overall recognition of the wider efforts of the industry at large.
Need for wider support over criticism
As members directly involved with the industry, we are of the view, although we may not reach the set national targets, Miththapala, who was once an active member of the industry, it is better if he seeks to support and give critical encouragement to the efforts put by the stakeholders of the industry towards its development. We are, therefore, pleased to invite Miththapala to join hands with us and give his inputs that could be of value to the progress of the industry, if he is so interested.
After three decades of immense hardship, when we somehow kept the ship of tourism afloat, the need today is wider support for the industry rather than public criticism of matters of little importance, from those with a genuine commitment to the future growth of the industry.
If we are in a situation when Sri Lanka Tourism is sitting pretty on the success in the past few post-conflict years, doing little or nothing to develop the industry with good promotions and other activities, and if it has made no contribution to the substantial growth in the past few years, SLAITO being a strong and proactive organisation would be the first to raise our voice of protest, and make a loud call for the necessary action. We are not hesitant to bring Sri Lanka Tourism to task if they are laidback and not energetic in their functioning.
However, the success of the past few years has been due to the promotional activities of Sri Lanka Tourism, with the valued inputs from all sections of stakeholders, and carried out on well planned strategy, inputs and recommendations from the industry, at country specific promotional plan meetings, where all stakeholders and related associations were present.

Much cause for satisfaction
As an association with full commitment to the progress of the industry, SLAITO has much cause for satisfaction with the progress that has resulted from investments made in the non-traditional but developing markets in the past two years. It is also commendable that the new strategies of growth have benefitted many new small and medium enterprises, rather than a few. This, in our view, is good for the industry as it signals the expansion of its horizons.
It must be conceded that all projected and planned promotions for the industry in 2013 could not be carried out to full effect due to the heavy involvement with CHOGM 2013. This is a matter that had national priority. However, there is no denying the fact that CHOGM did create a largely positive impact on the image of Sri Lanka and for tourism in the country. In reality it was a promotion that was not part of strategy but of reality.
The result is that some of the promotions that were planned for 2013 have been carried forward to the current year. These include strategised advertising in well accepted TV Channels in the West, which we have much confidence will help boost travel from the European market that is itself showing signs of economic recovery.
Promotional activities
It must be noted here that unlike in the past, the promotional activities of Sri Lanka Tourism are not driven by the thinking of a few heavyweights in the industry that had considerable influence and access to strategy. The situation has undergone a qualitative and meaningful change today with the voices of all sectors of the industry – small, medium and large, being heard, and strategies worked out on a much wider range of thought and experience, for the benefit of all concerned.
It is a matter well known, and of record, that in the past valued national funds of Sri Lanka Tourism, in days of much hardship in the country and the industry, were readily doled out for the promotional campaigns of some of the private companies. These promotions were for the benefit of a few, with special interests, and not for the wider national benefit of industry promotion. We are glad that the power of such forces has been broken and are fast diminishing.
We laud Sri Lanka Tourism and its key personnel for taking decisions in the wider interest of the industry, extending accessibility to all sectors in this industry for the inputs into the planning and working out of strategies and campaigns for promotion. These changes that have largely eroded the influence of a few may well be a factor that causes pain to those who hasten to criticise the new trends without proper assessment of the facts.
Table 1 shows the results of some of the very effective campaigns.
We would be happy to see this growth improve to more than 30%, with more Western European arrivals, as expected through the planned TV advertising and other targeted promotions. It is the view of SLAITO that the industry will have to make even greater efforts in the coming years, than in the past few, to achieve such results.
Industry growth
As this increase keeps growing year on year, there is also a reality of the approach of the saturation point. The growth of the tourism industry has also to be concerned with other aspects of national progress, such as a sustainable environment and the needs of social progress, too. Besides, Sri Lanka Tourism and all stakeholders also have a shared responsibility to encourage good new investment that will genuinely expand the industry and ensure confidence in it as a vital part of the engine of national growth.
SLAITO is happy to work with all with a genuine interest in the upliftment of the industry to greater heights, without the confines of ego boosting exercises or the promotion of few individuals. Today, Sri Lanka Tourism cannot be influenced by a few, and this may be a painful factor for those few who see it all as bad and ugly.
We live in a democracy and do not seek to have any control over those who express their views to the media, even when they are negative towards the industry. But it is our view that the freedom available in the media should not be used for negative messaging, to further any private agenda, whether individual or corporate, which does not benefit the industry, but would rather set negativity among would be investors in the industry, both local and foreign.
Progress will require the industry going beyond the money and thinking of those who have had the biggest influence over the industry through the years. That calls for widening of the base of this industry, as one that is truly of the people – small, medium and large. This seems to be prompting critics or commentators to portray Sri Lanka as an “also ran” in the progress of tourism, or being in the “backwoods of Asia,” from which we have emerged well and strong.
This story is seen by SLAITO as “good,” not as “bad and ugly” as a disappointed few try to portray.