English Language - Sri Lanka's Biggest Advantage in Attracting North American Tourists

19th October 2010, www.lbr.lk

Foreign tour operators say Sri Lanka's real competitive advantage over the region is good command of the English language which should be exploited by tourism authorities to attract visitors from the western hemisphere.

Sri Lanka, as a tourist destination for long has been marketed for its scenic splendor of white sandy beaches and misty mountains and the rich cultural heritage of over 2,500 years.

However experts say nature's attractions are a common factor and a marketing strategy in most tourist destinations, especially in the South-East Asian region.

International tourism experts say Sri Lanka's best competitive advantage over the region has never been spoken.

"One of the things that north Americans get worried when they go to certain countries where English is the second language but not very much spoken in places like Hanoi, Pennon Penn, Myanmar and parts of rural China," Scot Duncan, vice president – marketing, Orbitz USA said.

"But in this country you can and that is very, very critical."

Duncan spoke on Sri Lanka's potential to attract visitors from the north American continent at a media conference organized by national carrier, Sri Lankan Airlines recently.

Sri Lanka's leisure industry which was in the brink of bankruptcy due to a near three decade long war, which ended in May last year is now the industry that’s attracting the top dollars.

Year to September tourist arrivals have shot up 44 percent.

The tourism ministry, soft peddling on the country's tourism potential is now placed under the powerful economic development ministry, headed by president Rajapakse's younger brother Basil Rajapakse.

Foreign and local leisure companies have already pledged billions of rupees to develop the tourism sector. Some of the projects are already underway.

Arrivals from predominantly English speaking countries, like Canada, up 67.6 percent Year-to-September arrivals from the US was up 114.4 percent, Britain, up 30.2 percent, Australia 46.1 percent and New Zealand, up 36.8 percent, is showing the direction the leisure is heading in future.

Duncan says Sri Lanka has to differentiate from competing countries to further attract visitors from the north American continent.

"The beaches are spectacular here, they are spectacular in Thailand," Duncan said.

"What makes this country over and above spectacular apart from the scenery are the people."

Sri Lankan tourism officials want to attract 2.5 million visitors by 2016.