As for
human kind, we have ignored Gandhi, the Mahatma (like Martin Luther King Jr.
once said not to), for too long and at our own peril. Even in his own land of
birth, India, there are many who think and hold that his philosophy of ‘need
before greed’ to be anti-development and reactionary. Yet, we have enough scientific
evidence to point us to the ill effects of over development and the long term consequences
of some of the needlessly greedy ventures we undertake in the process of what
we call ‘development’. The area of tourism is no exception. You get too greedy and
think of making merry in the short term, the long term will be bleak. Like in the
story in verse of the crabs inside the heating pot, given in our literary classic,
The ‘Lowada Sangarawa’.
This ‘Out
of the Box’ column was written in April, 2010, and published in the ‘Financial
Times, Sri Lanka’. My intent is to repost it today for your critical thought.
For you to examine how we as a nation, banking on our tourism offer to the world
at large, may be examining the mega trends we observe on the demand side, to get
our supply side of the equation right.
Like
for all else, tourism demand for a destination like Sri Lanka, bent on seeking
a better brand of tourism from that of the past, will be shaped by two key
factors. They are primarily, our ability to identify opportunities arising from
the changing demand for the destination shaped by global mega-trends and our
ability to effectively anticipate and meet that demand by having the right
products and services in place. This serendipitous land has a myriad of
natural, heritage, cultural and human resources that can be presented in
various permutations and combinations. Creativity and innovative ingenuity of
those who are putting them together is what will count, in determining the
success or failure we shall have in seeking better custom, higher yields,
enhanced profitability and benefit to host communities, ensuring the sustainability
of our resources.
I
read about plans for mega resorts talked about, with somewhat of a bang-bang approach.
Institutional memory of the past and the nature of the mega-trends identified
for tourism by many research and academic organizations, I believe, need to be
examined as we take on to shaping our new tourism future.
I
am also of the view that it would be prudent for us to take a deep-breath
before we rush into the numbers game in building resorts and hotels. That could
end up with us having more of the same and too many that need be managed in
times of crisis and downturns in demand. We must also not forget that there is
a dire need to refurbish and upgrade existing facilities, through which Sri
Lanka could gain better yield, than attempting to attract more of the same low-end
demand with more and more building.
Today,
fresh options and innovations are available in providing tourist accommodation
facilities that are more fitting for an exotic destination such as ours in
meeting discerning demand. Already our
villas, boutique hotels and home stays are being talked about for their charm,
quality, personalized service and functionality. These together with tented
camp style resorts in the wilderness, may well be the future way forward for us,
for it offers an opportunity for members of the community to participate in
providing tourism accommodation as owners or key stakeholders, to bring higher
yields. These can replace the rapid gains, middleperson centric business model
of ‘build-sell-manage’ to the more sustainable ‘owner-build-manage’ model where
direct stakeholder benefits can be had.
There
is indeed a need to meet the immediate demand for accommodation, especially in
the North and the East. This includes both domestic and international tourism demand.
Given the potential tourism has, for national integration; here too, home stay
and cluster accommodation concepts can be actively pursued as options with effective
participation of the people of these areas. The Diaspora and financial
institutions must ensure that we adopt business models based on indigenous
ownership that also meet the socio-cultural sensitivities of a people, now on
their way to rebuilding their lives. It is true that these will not be possible
to be set in place in a few months. In my mind, what would be more important is
to get things right with good thoughtful planning, rather than rushing into
things that can go terribly wrong.
The
key focus should be on what form and creative shape, these facilities should
take in meeting the new demand we desire to have. We need to look at this post-conflict
scenario as an opportunity to venture to change the course of our tourism
future aiming at a long-term solution that is sustainable and profitable for
Sri Lanka and all her people. It is here that we need to take heed of the
mega-trends that in effect are home truths of what is to come.
A
recent study carried out by Credit Suisse based on a representative process of
consultation have identified three key mega-trends, that would have an impact
on tourism as well as all other business activities in the future. They are 1.
Aging of populations and the opportunities it offers; 2. a multi-polar world where
new and innovative products are sought and presented and 3. a move towards a
green future, where alternative energy sources, food security and sustainable
life styles will be sought, with robotics and nanotechnology assisting to
cushion the impact of that transformation.
In
addition, the UN World Tourism Organization’s 2020 mega-trends have identified
15 aspects that will impact on tourism’s future. The first among them is that
future tourism demand will move to be activity oriented rather than destination
oriented. This means that, no matter what mix of resources a destination holds;
how they are blended to provide awesome experiences for tourists and travelers
is what will matter.
In
my future columns, I plan to further explore each of these mega-trends in
relation to what they would mean for Sri Lanka’s tourism future.
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