Business of Dream Selling

By Renton de Alwis

Written and published in the FT in my ‘Out of the Box’ also in January 2010, this column sought to seek some fresh definitions for tourism, away from the formal text book definitions. I repost it today, without any further comment.

Travel and tourism is a most interesting pursuit. Often we hear about its potential to earn fast returns, provide employment and become a formidable foreign exchange earner. Yet, it is little we hear about the need to ensure its sustainability and long-term good health. This is particularly relevant in the context of a destination like Sri Lanka, where our ecological, cultural, social and human resources present a blend and a feel that is unique. It is that feeling of elation of one’s spirit, travellers’ had felt visiting this lush green and salubrious island, that later added the word ‘serendipity’ to the English vocabulary.  

When in the mid 1990’s, I was called upon to address the issue of developing a definition that could adequately capture the essence of travel and tourism at an Asian forum devoted to defining the future of our enterprise, I came up with the following;

“Tourism today is a basic human right. If one has the means and time, one can opt to travel. Tourism is about peoples’ dreams. People dream of the places they want to visit and the events that may unfold for them. Our work therefore is not merely about selling airline seats, hotel rooms, excursions or tour coach seats. It is about fulfilling peoples’ beautiful dreams. That makes us, the people who work in tourism, somewhat different types of service providers … We become dream sellers.”

Think of what ‘Dream Seller’ tourism policy makers, planners, investors, service providers and communities could do for the future wellbeing of this exotic island of ours. They would naturally be sensitive, creative, imaginative, conservationist and do their utmost to ensure that the dreams we sell will present good value and not be turned into nightmares. They would pay attention to detail needed to make travellers comfortable. Our naturally hospitable and caring ways will be honed just to do that.

We are fortunate that we have a few but significantly successful ventures in our midst in travel and tourism which can stand out as models of dream-selling. To make Sri Lanka realise her fullest potential in the enterprise of travel and tourism, we shall need to have more and more efforts at sensitising stakeholders by taking on training with a difference, providing an understanding of the substance of what this enterprise should and/or could be.

This brings to fold an interesting differentiation that must be made of our customers in travel and tourism. That differentiation is between the types, ‘travellers’ and ‘tourists’. Much of Sri Lanka, especially its rural hinterland and the new areas of the North and the East, can be destinations for travellers but not for tourists. A ‘traveller’ is a person who visits a place of his or her own choice, becomes one with its natural, social and cultural environment and ventures to care for the wellbeing of that place and life around. A traveller ventures to internalise one’s experiences without being a mere spectator.

A ‘tourist’ on the other hand is a person who makes a similar choice to visit a destination ‘sold’ to him or her by an agent and remains a spectator of the places visited, without necessarily seeking deep involvement in what unfolds around. A tourist’s demand is for a presented pleasurable experience which is considered value for money paid for it. There are indeed ‘travellers’ among ‘tourists’ as well but form the exception to the rule.

Sri Lanka’s travel and tourism enterprise, in the post-war era presents immense opportunities to more and more sensitive and creative entrepreneurs to join its domain. While good, clean profit can be made there are a whole host of challenges in developing responsible and sustainable businesses that can be met with positive contributions by such entrepreneurs. The need and call is for a critical mass of them to venture into this enterprise.

 

 

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