Joint strategic planning will boost regional tourism

A single visa system is important, to achieve the objectives of the South Asian Subregion Tourism Forum (SASTF) said the director of Shangri la Tours and the President of Nepal Association of Tour Operators, Ashok Pokharel  in Colombo last week.

The single visa arrangement will make decisions taken at the forum practical and increase tourist arrivals to the region and as a result all countries will benefit, he said.

Pokharel said that the single visa system can be introduced to tourists who visit the country to see Buddhist cultural sites and for eco tourism in member countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Embassies of South Asian subregion countries can be empowered to issue multi-country visas to tourists.

The Comparative advantage of such initiative is greater and today technology is advanced to address all negative aspects of this kind of visa arrangement.

Sri Lanka’s online visa arrangement system is an example and it is convenient for tourists.

Single visa arrangement can be implemented but need will-power and hard work by the member countries, he said.

Ludwing Riedder of ADB explained about the subregional tourism market and the objectives of SASTF.

The South Asia Subregion market attracted 7.6 million tourists in 2010 and it is a 16.7 percent increase compared to 2009.

Around 36 percent tourists came from Europe, 22 percent from South Asia, 18 percent from North America and 14 percent from East and South East Asian regions.

Those tourists include mostly older tourists, the younger wonder-lust tourists and adventure seekers as well as the family resort market. Cultural site seeing, adventure-based eco tourism and pilgrimage are growing.

The average length of stay of a tourist is 14.5 days and they spend an average of $127/day. The majority of the tourists were visiting two or three countries.

Buddhist heritage sites have become a tourist attraction and China and the Asia Pacific region is a fast- growing market, in this regard. Tourist arrivals to the sub region will increase by 50 percent in the next five years and will reach 16 million.

The region is facing a strong cycle in the next five years.

Long staying intra-regional market is expected to capture 75 percent of the market by 2020. There is a growing demand from thematic cultural and nature-based tourists.

The growth of the industry is of no consequence, the issue is what we are going to offer tourists.

Sustainable management of natural resources and the cultural heritage and inclusive growth are key in the development of the tourism sector in the sub region.

This is the main reason the ADB support this project and it has proved that tourism can make inclusive growth and reduce poverty because the industry, especially culture and nature-based tourism is operating in locations where marginalised people live, Riedder said.

SASTF’s strategies are; sustainable and inclusive development of thematic multi-country Buddhist heritage, natural and cultural heritage circuits, safeguard heritage sites and promote public private partnerships.

Capacity building and knowledge sharing to support sustainable tourism development, marketing and product development.

Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism ,Nalaka Godahewa said that this initiative will improve connectivity and management of cultural and natural resources in the sub region.

Under the project strategies, a road map to implement the strategies and institutional arrangement have been set up.

Tourism is the largest service industry in the world and it contributes 6 percent of the regional GDP, he said.

Sri Lanka can offer a range of products to this segment of tourists.

There are eight UNESCO world heritage sites in Sri Lanka and of them six are related to Buddhism.

For eco tourism Sri Lanka has the highest density of waterfalls, leopards, one of the world’s best elephant gathering in Minneriya and many more, he said.

-SundayObserver , Sri Lanka