Private sector collaboration essential to elevate tourism – ADB

Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director Takafumi Kadono said public sector and private sector collaborations are essential to take tourism in Sri Lanka to the next level at the conclusion of SLTDA’s ‘Tourism Homestay Twinning Project’ which was done in association with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Jetwing Hotels.

He said tourism will play a critical role in Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and ADB will continue to support the sector. “Providing mentorship for women who make up nearly half of homestay owners in the country creates gender balance in the tourism ecosystem while enhancing overall standards of the sector and living standards of the people in the homestay vicinities”, said Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando.

“There is one school of thought that we should target high-end tourist segments to enhance dollar income from the sector. In 2029 we plan to achieve five million tourist arrivals of which 2.5 million anticipated from the high-end segment. “However, since this is a process, to achieve this feat right now we need to cater intensely to other segments in the sector such as leisure travelers, youth travelers and backpackers.”

Homestay programs carried out by ADB have played a pivotal role towards improving qualitative aspects of the SMEs. ADB conducted two programs in Galle and Kandy training 120 homestay owners and did 20 online programs. An E-learning platform is being developed now. Anyone who is into homestays can upgrade their products using this app. “Moreover, ADB has assisted us to upgrade the criteria and the guidelines for home stays to improve overall qualitative aspects of the industry,” he added.

“Warmth, genuineness and authentic Sri Lankan experience provided by the SMEs owning homestays is the USP of this product. We could derive dollars from tourists by providing a heartfelt service and that aspect can be emphasized by the homestay owners and make homestays a high-end segment in time to come”, said Jetwing Symphony PLC Chairman Hiran Cooray.

Homestay owners from Galle, Negombo, Kandy, Dambulla, Jaffana and Pottuvil who participated in the three-month mentoring program conducted by Jetwing academy were trained on topics such as operations and standards, housekeeping, kitchen, food and beverage, front office and customer care, health, hygiene and safety and digital marketing.

The formal handover of the revised Homestay Guidelines as per the visitor expectations to SLTDA by ADB took place at conclusion.

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