- Collaborative governance within inter-related govt. tourism entities, paramount
- A unified national branding in the offing together with private sector
In the year 2022 Buddhika Hewawasam as a Tourism professional was unrelenting, although disillusioned by the bleak period faced during the Covid pandemic. He studied and monitored the industry through it, preparing to contribute to a tourism framework that was being sought to resurrect an Industry that had fallen victim to the Covid pandemic and the economic downturn occurring concurrently.
Impressed by the fact that for the first time the Tourism Industry is being considered a priority Industry by a political party in 2022, a man with a mission, Hewawasam, together with like-minded tourism professionals and various Industry stakeholders started a dialogue towards a tourism framework. They saw to it with pride their tourism framework develop to its fruition into a policy framework in 2024 of the National People’s Party (NPP).
At the helm today of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, since November ’24 is Hewawasam, who sits in the Tourism hot seat, steering the Industry with this policy framework, to its set goals.
Speaking to our inaugural issue of Travel Explorer of the Sunday Observer, Hewawasam outlined the key areas of developmentin the Tourism Industry, the work already underway and what needs to be remedied for a brighter way forward for the country.
Sri Lanka Tourism kick-started the year 2025 very well in terms of the numbers. What has been identified as key areas to work on to increase the numbers further to reach the set new target? What are the measures that need to be taken to generate more revenue?
“Yes, we are looking at those very two aspects. We might be achieving number targets but at the same time it doesn’t have any effect unless you achieve revenue targets. Our policy revolves around that- that is one issue we are looking at, on how to recover the numbers and the revenue in our country’s tourism industry. We have to look at increasing the high spenders when revenue levels are yet low.”
“We need to develop, activate the local tourism industry and make certain other industries are also part of tourism. We need to attract untapped markets, to make Sri Lanka a wedding and conference destination. For instance India’s highest net wealth is in Gujerat. And they are looking out for locations for weddings and conferences.”
“We have to get to Indian wedding planners and partner them in agreements. We need to spend more to tap the biggest key markets. We have to change our entire marketing strategy.We were landed with a market campaign with an outdated slogan. We have to get away from taglines and have a national branding to announce globally with a unified voice encompassing all stakeholders. Industry stakeholders must agree.There has to be a unified message across the world. For instance,a national branding, such as ‘incredible India’.”
“We need to promote Sri Lanka as a venue for conferences. We have facilitated for the British Writers Guild conference to be held in Sri Lanka mid-year, with 80 participants. This is a good way of sending the message across to the countries.”
Sri Lanka’s untapped potential for All Seasons Tourism
“In the tourism perspective, Sri Lanka has an untapped potential as a tourist destination. We should not hang on to peak and off peak.”
“The country can attract tourists 360 days of the year- this is untapped potential. Our product development was haphazard and biased towards a section.”
“Pottuvil and East Batticaloa and Matale have untapped potential. When one side is being promoted, the other side is forgotten.We promote seasonally the usual sites.Promotion can be done throughout the country throughout the year.
“A large part of Sri Lanka is excluded in the Tourism map. There are areas where tourism visitation is very low. Those aspects need to be addressed with a systematic product development effort.”
What are the areas?
“There is over visitation at certain national parks such as Yala which has drawn much criticism. Sigriya and Yala are overly sold. Yet to see the East coast and Wilpattu.”
“Yala is not even the largest national park in Sri Lanka neither the only wildlife park that has leopards. Within the reach of Yala you have three national parks, Kumana, Wilpattu and Bundala. Visitation to these three parks is very limited. The largest national park is Wilpattu which has less number of visitors despite the fact that it is situated in closer proximity to the airport as well as Colombo city.”
“We need to develop the product. Set the product right and then market the product.”
“Our potential at domestic level is immense. Domestic Airlines- Air access half hour distance is unavailable. The cost is high and the local authorities had not considered low cost operations.”
“A product has to be developed holistically. For instance to develop a product like wildlife tourism or safari- accommodation, access, safety and security have to be taken into account. Then only it can be a holistic product.”
“This effort cannot be done by a single party. Investing on a product development effort is necessary. Government intervention is required and professionals are needed. The Government inter- department coordination is crucial. One can have impeccable plans but implementation can be faulty due to the lack of coordination within the relevant Government organs. If the ideas and plans take about two years to implement, you have to resolve that problem. Our focus is on human resources, sustainability and for a product development arm” he added.
What has been identified as the next step towards implementation?
“Sri Lanka Tourism does not have a product development arm and we must have one. For that Government intervention is required. The last two products that we developed are -; the Ramayana Trails-developed 15 or 20 years ago and the recent product development effort which is Eco-Trails. Other-than that we don’t have a holistic, comprehensive product developed by the country. By product development for example is having something new and innovative being planned, and prepared for tourists from time to time.”
“In explaining this further, Hewawasam taking Singapore as an example said “Singapore has to build up something artificially with brick and water but in a country such as ours there are so much of natural assets which we can be created as products”.
You have identified what needs resolving,articulated the areas in which so much needs to be done, good plans are afoot. What’s the next step in overcoming the current implementation obstacles?
“The structure is the issue. We addressed this in two ways to resolve this issue. Firstly a Priority Industry status for Tourism is needed. This means you consider Tourism over and above the rest of the industries at least for the period of economic recovery. The NPP Manifesto itself says this. Tourism decisions could be made with the coordination of other inter- departmental agencies. Tourism interest is being protected over and above the rest. That’s the key idea. For example in the apparel industry, the predecessor to the BOI was the trigger and stimuli to create this industry, a global industry in Sri Lanka.”
“Plans are afoot for a National Tourism Commission which is similar to any other commission vested by Parliament with rights where they are empowered to take decisions and implement- it’s structured together with the private sector. Its a private sector- led industry. All tourism stakeholders will be included including the Provincial Councils. Someone has to formulate policy, monitor and implement. SLDA and SLPB are implementing organisations. Just having the implementation process does not work. The Tourism policy formulation council will consist of all these specialised tourism areas. Formulation and implementation must be under the NTC, and then only we can move forward. Then only we can get the industry going.”
“The role of the ministries are mostly facilitating roles. Tourism in Singapore, Malaysia,Thailand and India are not in the hands of individuals, but a capable structure. India’s national Tourism branding and campaign ‘Incredible India’has lasted 15-long years.No one touches it. It is institution-driven not by individuals. The restructuring of the organisation will address the issues we have on implementation.”
