Regulators roll up sleeves in seven tourist hubs
Tourism's regulators are readying to give the industry's stakeholders a good deal by revamping some of the key cities that attract the largest number of travellers focusing on holidaymakers' requirements and addressing social concerns.
As part of the master plan of the tourism industry the government will be looking at improving, in the first, round, seven cities that have a high potential for tourists in terms of energy utilization, sustainability, employment and social impacts, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority ( SLTDA) Director General Malraj Kiriella said in an interview with the Business Times on Monday.
The areas that have been identified are Ella, Kalpitiya, Nuwara Eliya, Arugam Bay, Pinnawela, Beruwela and Hikkaduwa.
Planned tourism is important when moving forward to ensure that issues like overcrowding that is currently taking place in terms of the number of buildings as accommodation units are coming up in these areas without proper guidance.
Based on the feedback from tourists, based on interviews carried out at t h e B a n d a r a n a i ke International Airport ( BIA), and industry stakeholders, the authorities are currently working on build- ing planned cities that could cater to the growing demand of international and local travelers to these areas as part of a pilot project, Mr. Kiriella explained.
The issues of mushrooming guest houses and inns is a common problem in most of these areas and in this respect, authorities were carrying out registrations of the various accommodation units in a bid to ensure quality of service delivery.
It is the quality that would sustain the destination, Mr. Kiriella noted, adding that travelers were increas- ingly informative.
Moreover, the SLTDA is eying hygiene standards of the areas in addition to creating a safe environment for travelers to move about.
In these cities that would be developed the government would be ensuring that tourist vessels' operations, vehicle safaris, elephant-back safaris, spice gardens, Ayurvedic health area centres, Ayurvedic hotels and apartment styled hotels would be brought under the authority of the SLTDA.
Other services that would be gazetted in future will be travel agencies, guides, spas and wellness centres operating in these areas as well.
Key issues faced by the industry are matters pertaining to sewerage that requires a larger plant in addition to garbage disposal systems in place.
Demarcated areas for shops would also be required and the existing places would be incorporated into the new plans, Mr. Kiriella said and pointed out that there would not be a need for the stakeholders to be concerned about these new regulations.
"We don't want to oust anyone, the income is for all levels ( of persons and organizations in the industry)," he said.
Further, regulations would be brought in to ensure there would be limits on the number of establish- ments that could be set up in the tourist zones and a survey would be carried out scientifically on how to absorb the rate of tourist traffic to the area, the Director General said.
Moreover, together with the SLTDA, the local municipalities will ensure that hygiene standards of restaurants in these areas would be maintained and in this regard tourist-friendly restaurants of an A and B grade categories have been certified in Sigiriya, Colombo, Kandy and Galle.
Mr. Kiriella also noted that they would ensure that the character of each of these areas would be sustained and this would be increasingly asserted in future buildings that would be established in these tourist populated areas.
Authorities are also looking at creating recreational facilities in these areas to ensure that people have a number of activities to undertake during their stay. In addition the respective cottage industries relevant to these cities would be encouraged to sustain the economic quality of life of the residents.
These added facilities and opportunities to travel and engage in increased activities would be planned under the new master plan to attract tourists to spend more nights on the island.
Authorities are also looking at creating recreational facilities in these areas to ensure that people have a number of activities to undertake during their stay. In addition the respective cottage industries relevant to these cities would be encouraged to sustain the economic quality of life of the residents.
(SD)