“We need to broaden tourism beyond the ten-day, three-city, operator-driven business… There is an economic rationale for attracting a higher percentage of niche tourists,” says Thilan Wijesinghe, Chairman of the advisory panel on Niche Tourism Products. In conversation with the Sunday Times FT, he identifies the Middle East, India and UK as markets in which he have the greatest opportunity to succeed.
Research on the niche segment reveals that getting from place to place by car is the foremost cause for dissatisfaction. While the time consumed is the stated reason, the root cause is poor connectivity and road conditions. Driving standards – or lack thereof – have also come in for some ridicule.
To cater to this segment, therefore, the need of the hour is infrastructure. The panel proposes that internal regional airports be upgraded “without spending big money”. While calling for domestic airlines to be encouraged, the panel recognizes the existence of security issues, due to which some aircraft have been grounded.
A programme to upgrade rail services through a public-private partnership is also under serious consideration. In addition, the upgradation of selected train stations is on the anvil. The panel has met Dullas Alahaperuma, Minister of Transport, in this regard.
Wijesinghe believes that a policy framework needs to be created and an enabling environment put in place first. Then, when times improve, the private sector will dive in and funding will be made available. There are also steps being taken for hotels and restaurants: de-bottlenecking approval processes for environmental clearances and liquor licences, for instance.
The advisory panel on niche tourism products includes stalwarts like Geoffrey Dobbs, Viren Perera and Nayantara Fonseka. “We plan to educate, inform and advise the Ministry of Tourism on a public relations campaign,” discloses Wijesinghe.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Attracting the 'Creamy Layer'
Imagine: You are a tourist holidaying in Sri Lanka. On a deckchair by the beach, you are basking in the warm sunshine. You are mesmerized by the soporific sound of the sea and the sight of the waves breaking on the golden sands. As you sit up to sip your colourful mocktail, you think, "God's in His Heaven – All's right with the world!”
At that precise moment, a horde of vendors descends on you like a swarm of bees, pestering you, harassing you, to sample their wares. They refuse to scram until you buy something. What a bloody nuisance!
Only if it crosses a certain threshold, however, does such harassment get categorized as criminal activity. It is precisely to safeguard tourists from these and similar situations that the Tourist Police Division (TPD) was inaugurated in June 2007.
Speaking at a media discussion last week, SSP Maxie Proctor, TPD Director, indicated that - during 2005 and 2006 - there had been about 300 complaints registered each year. He explained that harassment by vendors was the consequence of inadequate tourist arrivals. Spelling out the TPD’s roadmap (now under implementation), he indicated that resources had been the constraint thus far. Now that personnel have been recruited, they will be provided with intensive training inputs.
In addition, police posts in certain coastal areas and other places of tourist attraction have been identified for upgradation to police stations. Proctor said out that some police stations have also been identified for improvement. Enhanced protection will ensure that tourists have a hassle-free experience, would help communicate the message that Sri Lanka is a safe place to visit.
Despite being the fourth-highest foreign exchange generator in Sri Lanka, tourism’s contribution is small: just 1.5% of GDP, against 8% internationally, says Thilan Wijesinghe, Group CEO/ MD of Forbes & Walker.
“Niche Tourism is going to be very important in coming years,” he believes. In his avatar as Chairman of the Advisory Panel on Niche Tourism Products, Wijesinghe is assisting the Tourist Board in defining standards for boutique hotels. Speaking from his experience at Tea Trails, Bogawantalawa, he insists that hotels can curb harassment - by procuring provisions and services from surrounding areas.
Based on inputs from the panel, Sri Lanka Tourism has launched a drive to prioritise quality over quantity. The rationale is simple, Wijesinghe explains: The creamy layer of tourism worldwide consists of the top 3% of tourists, a segment that spends 30% of tourism dollars. Because of their spending power, niche tourists demand very high standards. They expect to be received at the airport, cleared through immigration/ customs, and whisked away to their hotels. They travel individually or as couples, and treasure their privacy.
George Michael, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, admitted that tourism was facing difficult times. However, with the industry employing more than 300,000 people – and “feeding a million” – they could not afford to leave any stone unturned in improving the situation.
At that precise moment, a horde of vendors descends on you like a swarm of bees, pestering you, harassing you, to sample their wares. They refuse to scram until you buy something. What a bloody nuisance!
Only if it crosses a certain threshold, however, does such harassment get categorized as criminal activity. It is precisely to safeguard tourists from these and similar situations that the Tourist Police Division (TPD) was inaugurated in June 2007.
Speaking at a media discussion last week, SSP Maxie Proctor, TPD Director, indicated that - during 2005 and 2006 - there had been about 300 complaints registered each year. He explained that harassment by vendors was the consequence of inadequate tourist arrivals. Spelling out the TPD’s roadmap (now under implementation), he indicated that resources had been the constraint thus far. Now that personnel have been recruited, they will be provided with intensive training inputs.
In addition, police posts in certain coastal areas and other places of tourist attraction have been identified for upgradation to police stations. Proctor said out that some police stations have also been identified for improvement. Enhanced protection will ensure that tourists have a hassle-free experience, would help communicate the message that Sri Lanka is a safe place to visit.
Despite being the fourth-highest foreign exchange generator in Sri Lanka, tourism’s contribution is small: just 1.5% of GDP, against 8% internationally, says Thilan Wijesinghe, Group CEO/ MD of Forbes & Walker.
“Niche Tourism is going to be very important in coming years,” he believes. In his avatar as Chairman of the Advisory Panel on Niche Tourism Products, Wijesinghe is assisting the Tourist Board in defining standards for boutique hotels. Speaking from his experience at Tea Trails, Bogawantalawa, he insists that hotels can curb harassment - by procuring provisions and services from surrounding areas.
Based on inputs from the panel, Sri Lanka Tourism has launched a drive to prioritise quality over quantity. The rationale is simple, Wijesinghe explains: The creamy layer of tourism worldwide consists of the top 3% of tourists, a segment that spends 30% of tourism dollars. Because of their spending power, niche tourists demand very high standards. They expect to be received at the airport, cleared through immigration/ customs, and whisked away to their hotels. They travel individually or as couples, and treasure their privacy.
George Michael, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, admitted that tourism was facing difficult times. However, with the industry employing more than 300,000 people – and “feeding a million” – they could not afford to leave any stone unturned in improving the situation.
Advice by Feizal Samath
We must always be careful not to overdo the ‘praise’ of the public or private sectors in stories.
A straight forward news story is reporting the facts. In a story where allegations are made, we report the claim and balance it by getting the other side to comment.
This is not easy in the style of writing that we promote at the STFT – featurish, laidback stories that would sizzle and excite the reader enough to read a serious biz story on a relaxed Sunday morning or afternoon. Now this is where experience also counts – particularly in knowing the background to events, issues and sectors that we cover.
For example – say, finance – we may be impressed by a presentation made by Dr P B Jayasundera, Treasury Secretary, on the economy; but for journalists who keep abreast with the news, we are also aware that he can be a political stooge. Thus, we temper praise for his presentation and ‘facts’ with the fact that he may also be responsible for the crisis whatever it is.
Then, for example – we would find Aitken Spence’s new plan to use indigenous food a great story and great motivator of what we should eat. However on the other hand, we may be unaware that the hotel chain may be discriminating against local villagers from the community and buying stuff from another village. Or that it sells stale food to guests. Thus, if such a thing is happening, we may shoot ourselves in the foot by overdoing the praise-for-the-hotel-on-what-a-great-thing-it-is-doing, etc while sections of the public who know the other side will find us very partial.
The point I am making is that in trying to make an uninteresting story look exciting and to tempt the reader to go beyond the headline – which is what we are striving for – we may unwittingly be offering too much praise or too much criticism. The trick here is to be balanced and objective – and also make a complicated and boring business/ finance story readable for a Sunday reader.
A straight forward news story is reporting the facts. In a story where allegations are made, we report the claim and balance it by getting the other side to comment.
This is not easy in the style of writing that we promote at the STFT – featurish, laidback stories that would sizzle and excite the reader enough to read a serious biz story on a relaxed Sunday morning or afternoon. Now this is where experience also counts – particularly in knowing the background to events, issues and sectors that we cover.
For example – say, finance – we may be impressed by a presentation made by Dr P B Jayasundera, Treasury Secretary, on the economy; but for journalists who keep abreast with the news, we are also aware that he can be a political stooge. Thus, we temper praise for his presentation and ‘facts’ with the fact that he may also be responsible for the crisis whatever it is.
Then, for example – we would find Aitken Spence’s new plan to use indigenous food a great story and great motivator of what we should eat. However on the other hand, we may be unaware that the hotel chain may be discriminating against local villagers from the community and buying stuff from another village. Or that it sells stale food to guests. Thus, if such a thing is happening, we may shoot ourselves in the foot by overdoing the praise-for-the-hotel-on-what-a-great-thing-it-is-doing, etc while sections of the public who know the other side will find us very partial.
The point I am making is that in trying to make an uninteresting story look exciting and to tempt the reader to go beyond the headline – which is what we are striving for – we may unwittingly be offering too much praise or too much criticism. The trick here is to be balanced and objective – and also make a complicated and boring business/ finance story readable for a Sunday reader.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Desiderata by Max Ehrmann
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
And remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
Be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
And listen to others,
Even the dull and the ignorant;
They too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
They are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
You may become vain and bitter;
For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
It is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
For the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
Many persons strive for high ideals;
And everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
For in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
It is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
Gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
Be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
No less than the trees and the stars;
You have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
Whatever you conceive Him to be,
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
In the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
It is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
And remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
Be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
And listen to others,
Even the dull and the ignorant;
They too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
They are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
You may become vain and bitter;
For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
It is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
For the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
Many persons strive for high ideals;
And everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
For in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
It is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
Gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
Be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
No less than the trees and the stars;
You have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
Whatever you conceive Him to be,
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
In the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
It is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
This Winner Will Never Quit!
About my quitting - I am trying to prevent that eventuality. I know that it’s just a matter of time before these bureaucratic bunglers finally get their act together and correct their mistake. I am absolutely clear about what I want to do – get back home - and I am determined to. In the meantime, I will continue to treat this as a mid-career retirement and work on my book.
I expect that I will be able to submit my manuscript to the publisher by Q1 of 2008. If accepted, we would be targeting to release by end-2008. They apparently need that kind of time for editing and tying up the international contracts.
V K Karthika is Publisher and Chief Editor of HarperCollins and is based in New Delhi. She is amazingly prompt in responding to mails from even non-entities like me - and is very encouraging too – just the kind of professional that a budding writer needs!
PS: To hedge my risks, however, I am also planning a trip to Dubai next month - to check out opportunities there first-hand.
I expect that I will be able to submit my manuscript to the publisher by Q1 of 2008. If accepted, we would be targeting to release by end-2008. They apparently need that kind of time for editing and tying up the international contracts.
V K Karthika is Publisher and Chief Editor of HarperCollins and is based in New Delhi. She is amazingly prompt in responding to mails from even non-entities like me - and is very encouraging too – just the kind of professional that a budding writer needs!
PS: To hedge my risks, however, I am also planning a trip to Dubai next month - to check out opportunities there first-hand.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Hotelier’s Guide to Success
An eye-catching poster outside the Chairman’s office at Aitken Spence Hotels reads: “The key to happiness is having dreams; the key to success is making dreams come true.”So, how does Aitken Spence Hotel Managements (ASHM) intend to make the ‘third dimension’ dream come true? The Sunday Times FT spoke to Anil Udawatte, Director – Sales and Marketing, to find out. Explaining the background, Udawatte said, “Our Director, Gemunu Goonewardene, came up with the health dimension concept and we sounded out the head chefs, who found it exciting.”
Wouldn’t a concerted, Tourist Board-backed effort have had the potential for greater success? “As a commercial organization,” explains Udawatte, “we have to be commercially responsible. If everyone had been involved, things would not have been as smooth as just one company taking the decisions. ASHM now has the first-mover advantage. We will make a start and we would like everyone to get onto the bandwagon.”
ASHM has ten properties in Sri Lanka, of which Kandalama and Ahungalla are Heritance brand properties. The company has five properties in the Maldives. This month, it also opened two in India - a 68-room hotel in Trivandrum and an 18-room boutique property in the Andaman Islands.
Speaking of the target audience, Udawatte says, “We are initially targeting Sri Lankans and will gradually take the promotion across the world.” At the Heritance properties, 75% of the guests are foreigners, and 25% are locals. However, the company is focusing on the domestic clientele first “because it typically takes longer for foreigners to get accustomed to our cuisine.”
“Over the coming month,” says Udawatte, “we will implement a special buffet corner with indigenous cuisine, in addition to the existing buffet. This will be kicked off at our Heritance properties”, where occupancy is currently at sub-40% levels and rooms are available at LKR 8500 (approx US$ 77) per day.
Upmarket, widely-traveled tourists from the West look for authentic experiences when visiting countries on holiday. Their palate adjusts to cuisines from Thailand, Vietnam and India. However, Sri Lanka is not attracting these top-end customers at the moment. “What we do get are low-end tourists who prefer cornflakes, butter and jam, cheese and cold meats. We are basically serving Western food to Westerners,” says Udawatte. “On the contrary, Indians promote their food well. There, 75% of the buffet is Indian, with very little cold meats and salads.”
Talking of the ‘third dimension’ promotion, Udawatte says, “Most people in Colombo do not know how to prepare authentic Sri Lankan cuisine, what spices and ingredients to use and what benefits can be derived.” The promotion will be backed by in-room publicity on TV channels, with menu cards detailing the health benefits. Over time, ASHM will also advertise this USP with ‘healthy weekend’ packages.
“You have two options,” Udawatte concludes, “Either you can eat or you can dine. Eating can be done anytime, anywhere, even on the wayside. But fine dining will never go out of fashion.”
Food: The Third Dimension
It is unusual to see four chefs in full regalia gracing the head table at a press briefing. However, rather than spoiling the broth like the cooks in the adage do, the chefs’ presence here was appropriate, lending a touch of credibility to the proceedings. There was well-known master chef, Dr Publis Silva accompanied by Chefs Dimuthu Kumarasinghe, S Rathnapala and Arosha Jayasinghe.Kumarasinghe, designated as Group Culinary Development Chef at Aitken Spence Hotels, has acquired something akin to an aura. He is the only person in the world to have won nine gold medals in the Culinary Olympics and Culinary World Cup.
Aitken Spence Hotels unveiled their ‘third dimension to indigenous cuisine’ this week. Introducing the concept, Ravi de Silva, consultant for Social and Environmental Management for Aitken Spence Hotels, explained that taste and presentation had long been recognised as aspects that needed attention when dealing with cuisine. Aitken Spence is now introducing the third dimension – health - at its Heritance properties at Kandalama and Ahungalla. De Silva explained, “We have got muddled up in a pickle of ingredients. It’s about time we showed the world our heritage in food.”
It is believed that there are forty spices and flavours identified in Sri Lankan cuisine. Most of them have been highly valued in both Eastern and Western systems of medicine for generations. Malin Hapugoda, Managing Director of Aitken Spence Hotels, said, “Despite its many nutritive and medicinal qualities, however, Sri Lankan cuisine has not received due recognition.”
Director Gemunu Goonewardene spoke of the huge untapped demand for health food. “Aitken Spence Hotels has the experience and reputation to launch good food with indigenous ingredients”, he said. These could replace the grills and stews that have become standard fare nowadays.
The occasion brought together several luminaries in the field of nutrition. Addressing the gathering, Dr Ananda Chandrasekara, Senior Lecturer on Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Peradeniya, pointed out, "Eating patterns have changed for the worse. The majority of our diseases – obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol - are the consequence of an improper diet.”
Dr Vajira Senaviratne’s integrated expertise in ayurvedic and modern pharmaceutical science was in evidence. He pointed out that many Sri Lankan condiments, besides being flavouring agents that they have acquired a reputation for, also have therapeutic qualities. This ‘third dimension’ initiative is an extension of our ancestors’ belief that ‘Arogya parama laabha’. (Health is the greatest wealth.)
Ten years ago, ayurveda was small, but had big potential that was tapped into. Westerners who visit Sri Lanka for a week or two of ayurvedic treatment have improved earnings from tourism. With a million tourists targeted by 2010, the ‘third dimension’ initiative will emphasise the ‘healthy lifestyle’ message. It would also extend the country’s tourism positioning beyond the beach – adventure – culture circuit.
With Maubima Lanka Foundation’s ‘Buy Lankan’ campaign having been launched recently, Aitken Spence Hotels’ move is timed perfectly to promote the sale and consumption of local cuisine.
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