Thursday Nov 14, 2024
Thursday Nov 14, 2024
Monday, 31 July 2023 00:09 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Charumini de Silva
Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) President Jyoti Mayal this week expressed her concerns over the decision by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to reintroduce the Minimum Room Rate (MRR) in the country.
According to Mayal, this move could hurt the recent growth in tourist footfall that was beginning to recover post-crisis.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily FT, Mayal emphasised that competitive destinations such as the Maldives, Nepal, Vietnam, and Cambodia have taken measures to reduce prices and intensified their marketing efforts to attract visitors.
She believes that reinstating the MRR in Sri Lanka, particularly at a rate of $ 190 + for a full board, may not be appealing to tourists as the market attempts to stabilise itself.
“Some tourists would still visit Sri Lanka, but the destination overall might experience a significant decline in footfall that it recently witnessed. MICE tourism and wedding segments are highly price-sensitive, and such a decision could hinder Sri Lanka’s opportunities to boost its tourism business and industry,” she explained.
Mayal called for strategic, collective, and inclusive policy decisions that would benefit all stakeholders involved in the tourism sector.
During the first 27 days of July, Sri lanka has attracted a total of 123,503 tourists from India, the UK, China, Germany, Russia, France, Maldives, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands.
She also praised President Ranil Wickremasinghe›s vision of boosting tourism in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) region into a thriving tourism hub by transcending national borders to unlock the full potential and attract international travellers.
Highlighting the importance of a skilled workforce in uplifting industry standards and ensuring quality, the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) President Mayal expressed her desire to boost ties with Sri Lanka to further in upskilling the talent pool in the hospitality industry.
Mayal applauded the warmth and hospitality extended by Sri Lanka during the 67th Convention of TAAI, which concluded earlier this month. “The efforts of both the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) for organising the event and leaving the delegates feeling warmly welcomed and well-cared for,” she added.
She said Indian journalists accompanying the TAAI delegation were also impressed by Sri Lanka’s attractiveness and exceptional hospitality, resulting in positive publicity about the country being published in Indian media.
Looking ahead, Mayal expressed TAA’›s eagerness to collaborate with SLTPB and SLAITO to attract at least 1% of India›s population to Sri Lanka, which she believes could significantly contribute to Sri Lanka›s tourism industry.
Indian tourists are positioned to remain the strongest source market for Sri Lanka year-to-date with 131,523, followed by Russia with 114,836 and the UK with 61,006 arrivals.
