New Sri Lanka Tourism Act: 'Two into One' better than 'Three into One'?
A joint committee, comprising of Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour operators (SLAITO), Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka (TAASL), Association for Small and Medium Enterprises in Tourism (ASMET), and Sri Lanka Association of Professional Conference, Exhibition & Event Organisers (SLAPCEO) advocates halting the amendments to the current Tourism Act.
The key concern, amongst many others, is the amalgamation of the SLTDA, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau (SLTPB) and Sri Lankan Conventions Bureau (SLCB), a move, which the joint committee asserted would not be supported by any means in the best interest of the industry.
In addition, the private sector stakeholders of tourism have submitted a list of their requirements, should legislation governing the industry be changed.
The list proposes, among others, the following;-
- The amalgamation of SLTPB (Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board) and SLCB (Sri Lanka Convention Bureau) - which are promotional and marketing arms, as opposed to merging the four institutions.
- Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management (SLITHM) may function as individual units or be amalgamated as they function as training, licensing and monitoring bodies.
- The setting up of an inter-ministerial task force comprising the secretaries of all line ministries relevant to tourism, such as Aviation, Archeology, Wildlife, Cultural Ministry, and others, as it is a “better” alternative to opening out the Board positions to line ministries – which may cause difficulties in decision making at board levels, since interest and perceptions may differ.
- As it is the hotels and Destination Management Companies (DMCs) that carry out overseas travel promotions in addition to contributing to the Tourism Development Levy (TDL), only representatives from the stated two segments from the private sector be accommodated on the boards via nominations from their associations.
- Stresses Sri Lanka Tourism and other boards must be prevented from engaging in business competing with private sector.
- The responsibility of Sri Lanka Tourism should be only facilitation. Therefore, through the Act, management of online booking portals and acting as commission agents must be totally prevented,” the committee pointed out.
- Recommends that members on all boards resign every three years instead of resigning all at once. This rotation on the basis of ‘first to come –first to go’, will maintain continuity.
“We strongly recommend that a suitable solution be found to amalgamate without changing the current Tourism Act, but revisit the Act at a later date if required,” the written document to the SLTDA stated.
Hospitality Sri Lanka
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