Galadari Hotel situated at the heart of Colombo overlooking the beautiful Indian Ocean and with a trove of upscale facilities, is the holidaymaker's sophisticated getaway, the event organizer's ideal venue, and the businessman's home in Sri Lanka.
"We have reinforced our commitment towards establishing facilities and services that equally enable everyone" said a gleeful Mr. Sampath Siriwardena the hotel's General Manager.
The preliminary work here at several locations of the hotel, he revealed, has just been completed in close collaboration with 'IDIRIYA', a registered not-for-profit organization of a group of professionals who are exceptionally responsive towards 'Designing for Inclusion of all people'.
"This mission of National importance was initiated, promoted and guided at Galadari Hotel by the Secretary-General of IDIRIYA Dr. Ajith C. S. Perera who has a good understanding about disability related access issues and of its intricacies, as an experienced accessibility advisor with proven competence, total commitment and first-hand practical knowledge as a Wheelchair-user."
This was revealed by the Chief Engineer Mr. Saliya Hapugalle, at a simple ceremony held recently at the opening of the hotel's two accessible entrances and introducing systems towards their optimum use.
"In this hospitality industry, every customer, able or dis-able, visibly or invisibly to any degree, needs to be respected and protected, made comfortable and safe, equally and without any discrimination. We are very happy to have received Dr. Perera's expertise and initiated the right action to provide 'accessible and user-friendly facilities equally to all' at Galadari Hotel Colombo. This we consider as our moral duty." said the Public Relations Manager Ms. Nirukshi Rupasinghe.
Under Dr. Perera's close guidance, the team led by Mr. Siriwardena and including Mr Hapugalle and Maintenance Engineer Mr. Damith Gunatunga ably supported by Ms. Nirukshi Rupasinghe, are working towards this goal leaving no stone unturned.
"We are very pleased to recognize the commitment and devotion of the Galadari Hotel Colombo. It will soon enable them to qualify as a remarkable achiever of 'Enabling Hotel Environment' and thereby will have the potential to welcome all customers equally and with dignity".
This recognition was given by Dr. Ajith Perera. He further said: "Physical obstacles to access facilities 'man make to man' at public buildings send an unintended message of unwelcome. It is NOT good business to alienate clientele in that way".
"The growing market of 'LESS MOBILE and ABLE' people who have real spending power, the desire and the time to travel. Their greatest disappointment in travelling to beautiful Sri Lanka, is extreme difficulty in identifying the right facilities and services that cater for them, for toileting and especially showering", Perera said.
"Accessibility is NOT only about visibly disabled people. It extends to a wide range of people due to numerous reasons including non-visible debilitating conditions. Even at our reputed 5 star hotels and tourist resorts' access to toilets and wash facilities and their use is a nightmare for increasing numbers of people visiting them, revealed Dr. Perera"
'ACCESSIBLE TOURISM' is Sri Lanka's NEWEST Profit Source. At a time when we are to resurrect our international and also domestic tourism industry and contribute significantly to Sri Lanka's economic growth after ending three decades of war against terrorism, we cannot afford to be inept and leave out this lucrative income generating big sector of people. We must act fast to embrace the 'diversity of mobility' of potential tourists."
"My wide experiences indicate that, contrary to popular belief, it is NOT a financial burden to hotels, resorts and guest houses to make those small changes in their built environment that will bring really big differences to the human life of so many potential customers", elucidated Dr. Perera.
"Expenditure here should be seen as an INVESTMENT, systematically to target this untapped lucrative increasing sector and reap rich benefits".
Seen in the attached picture- Dr.Ajith C.S.Perera leading the Mission - Accessible Tourism with Mr.Wimalasiri, Assistant Security Manager, Mr Rizwan Khaldeen, Rooms Division Manager, Mr Sampath Siriwardena, General Manager, Mr Saliya Hapugalle Chief Engineer and Ms.Nirukshi Rupasinghe Public Relations Manager of the Galadari Hotel.
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