Boost to Sri Lanka Tourism from Cricket World Cup 2011 with 150,000 Tourists Expected in this Month

13th February 2011, www.thebottomline.lk, By Srian Obeyesekere

The tourism industry is gearing for a major boost this month with estimated tourist arrivals for the 2011 Cricket World Cup alone of 150,000 likely to generate additional revenue of Rs. 200 million, industry officials predict. However, recent floods that wrought havoc in several districts in the island may lower the actual arrivals expectations, according to sources.

Saying that the hotel industry had grossed up a record Rs. 150 million during the 1995-96 world cup when it was played in the sub-continent, the President of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka and Deputy Chairman and CEO of Serene Pavilions, Anura Lokuhetty said, “This time the amount is certain to go higher up and I would put it down to Rs. 200 million with an occupancy rate of 90 per cent. That is a rise by 40 per cent from the current occupancy rate of 60 per cent.”

The tourist influx is expected particularly on the back of the cricket fans, media and television and radio commentators coming here for the mega event slated to commence on February 19 and which would go on until the first week of April.

Meanwhile, like a gold rush, all five-star hotels in Colombo, hotels in Kandy and Hambantota (which is the closest to Suriyawewa) where world cup matches are to be worked out have already been booked up, according to hotel officials who said that despite tourism rates being expensive, it would not be a deterrent to the tourists.

Sources said that large number of tour groups, particularly Pakistani supporters coming to cheer their team and Australians had booked in with Sri Lanka playing most of its preliminary matches at home and Pakistan also playing their matches in Sri Lanka.

Some of the leading five-star hotels have already begun to pick up on bookings. The Galadari Hotel said that the hotel was already full and this would peak to 90 per cent from March 17 to 29 with large groups of Pakistani and Australian cricket fans making bookings covering the hotel’s 423 rooms.

Other city hotels which had bookings included Hotel Taj Samudra which was also accommodating the West Indian and Kenyan teams, Hilton Hotel and Galle Face Hotel.

In Suriyawewa, where the Sri Lankan team would be featured in its first match on February 20, the Peacock Beach Hotel in Hambantota had sold out all 70 rooms with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and International Cricket Council (ICC) officials booking in.

The Earls Regency Hotel located in Kandy and close to the Pallekelle Stadium, the occupancy rate is likely to go up to around 85 to 90 per cent.

Meanwhile, five-star hoteliers said there would be no fluctuation of their hotel rates which was around US $ 150 single, US $ 160 single/double and US $ 180 single/treble.

Commenting on the buoyant tourism upswing, the Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Dr Nalaka Godahewa said that the cricket world cup was bringing in invaluable additional foreign exchange at a time 2011 was peaking on tourist arrivals with a targeted 750,000 tourists during the year; a record jump of 100,000.

However, he acknowledged that there could be a shortage of local skilled workers in the hotel industry particularly in respect of chefs and bakery staff with the expected upswing in the industry. He added that mainly there was a shortfall in the labour intensive industry for chefs and bakery related workers.

An estimated 600,000 skilled workers will be needed by 2016 to meet the Rs. 2.5 billion revenue target with more than 70, 000 trained man power, according to the Director General, Sri Lanka Institute if Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) , Dr Suranga de Silva.

“Today, there is no severe shortage of skilled hotel workers because before 2011 there was a large volume of unemployment. But by 2012, we will need 9,450 to be trained and by 2013, a further 16,000 for the accommodation industry,” said Dr de Silva adding that the most critical area affected by the lack of skilled man power were the cookery and executive chefs category.
He however, pointed out that the SLITHM was coming up with a strategy to meet this dearth by inviting the private sector to set up their own hotel schools like in other countries.
“Franchising the hotel school programme would help multiple the number of hotel schools from the present number of 35,” said Dr de Silva.

According to a recent study by the hotel school, the leisure industry requires 1.75 employees per room, varying according to their star grading. A five-star hotel will need 2.5 employees per room while a four-star will require 2.2 employees, 1.5 employees for a two-star hotels and 1.3 per single-star room, the report further stated.