By Steve A. Morrell
Bill Barnett, the visiting Managing Director of C 9 Hotelworks, Thailand, said last week that upper end tourist traffic was growing and Sri Lanka was well placed to exploit its potential. Growth and propagation of the Ocean Villas concept would fit the new ocean line belt of resorts concentrated on the beach belt between Galle and Tangalle.
Asked by the media on attractive features that could attract an European or American tourist to visit Sri Lanka, Barnett was not quite certain of salient features that could attract a traveler to visit not once but repeatedly as an annual feature. Or that there were special attributes that could entice travelers to make Sri Lanka priority one on their travel itinerary.
He however said the ‘golden’ beach land from Galle to the deep south would be ideal for Pool villas as envisaged in his travel brochures. To further cement his projections, he said the Six Senses Ahungalla Resort will launch fourteen ocean front luxury villas.
Each such villas would cost about 400 to 500 Dollars per day. Asked if intended high end tourist would be inveigled to come, he cited Tea Trails in Hatton which run much on similar lines which were doing well.
However, eventual target areas was India and China. Both countries had ballooning middle classes who were cash heavy and looking for holiday sites.
Topography of India being similar to Sri Lanka could still entice visitors to the Galle beach belt in the south. Not least that the southern highway to be opened shortly, coupled with the proposed airport in Hambantota were all substantial plusses that contributed to Sri Lanka emerging as a tourist destination of choice.
He did not, however place importance on available wild life and the game parks.
He said as experienced in Thailand and Vietnam where tourist growth took some time after their internal problems, so too Sri Lanka. But the advantage here was that there were no language barriers because most spoke English and were able to communicate with outside travelers.
Currently room strength was insufficient in Colombo. At least 1000 more rooms were urgently needed, he said. This was an urgent priority with further plans for more rooms to accommodate the growing numbers of visitors.
He was confident tourists would come, but he also added the country had to be marketed well and effectively.
No comments:
Post a Comment