To whom it may concern; my vision for Sri Lanka's Tourism

To whom it may concern,

Sri Lanka Tourism has improved over the years, but never ceased its true potential.

Sri Lanka is now featured on a travel magazine, article, blog, and vlog as the destination to be at.

I would suggest some improvements I think Sri Lanka tourism should do.

It should be briefed to the hoteliers & travel agents that it is not their product that should be marketed but Sri Lanka as a destination, simple logic should be shown the first step should be convincing a traveler to come to Sri Lanka then the rest of the thought process of travel agent and hotels shall follow.

Secondly, Hotels in a singular area, for example, Ella or Ratnapura should take initiation along with the Tourist Board to promote the City. Sri Lanka does not exist of Colombo, Galle, Kandy and Nuwaraeliya other cities should be promoted, including why they should travel to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is not a cheap destination, never should be marketed as one. Sri Lankan hoteliers, agents and tourist board to sell the experiences of Sri Lanka more neatly and more professional. Sri Lanka is not only a country for Kandy temple, Sigiriya and to be guided to a tea plantation. Sri Lanka is made of rich culture, a wide variety of species.

Ayurveda, meditation, and spas the wellness holiday theme is greatly marketed around the world, we should take initiation for all who graduate as an Ayurveda Doctor should be recruited to the hospitality trade to shape this new trend in the world.

If you have notices yoga is very booming in Sri Lanka, mainly not done nor taught by Sri Lankan's hence to promote this among Sri Lankan youth they should be shown there are many career paths within this trade to be learned and earned from.

We should learn to market Sri Lanka to Michelin Chefs to showcase their meals, we should put initiative to help bring down marine biologists from all over the world, we are not only famous for monkeys let the world see we have more animals invite zoologists to come and write about us, let historians come and see our culture and make documentaries.

Make the national parks, museums and historical sites more than here is a famous rock see this rock.

Make it more organized everywhere in the world it is not about pointing at a historic icon and saying why it is open. All these location museums, castles everything should be interactive with the clients where they engage with the culture and participate in depicting this great tale of Sri Lanka that they are experiencing.

I am stressing this time we break the barrier and bring tourism over the top.

The world seems to be talking about us, but we don’t seem to be. What last time a hotel promoted Sri Lanka and not the Jacuzzi in their room, what was last time an agent educated new markets about Sri Lanka, but not told how they can undercut their competitor by five dollars?

Sri Lanka pricing should maintain a standard that is worth it. We should improve our service along with it, train staff in the Tourist Board, Hotel School and Hoteliers from outsiders. I have seen the skill of Sri Lankan's in the hospitality trade in other countries because they are motivated, engaged and trained to push the envelope to grow themselves in the trade. Let them see the world what new things are out there and how we can incorporate them into our cycle of things.

Teach the hospitality industry next time they talk to a vendor sell Sri Lanka, not their property or company.

Teach Hoteliers are not here for the market share, the day comparison hotels share their information with each other they can improve together as they are already in comparison with each other.

Teach agents it is not selling the package ten dollars less, it’s about selling authentic Sri Lanka to the world show we are a lot more and we have much more to give.

These are tiny ideas we should hyper think about, we have a great opportunity where Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor and every other article is featuring. We now should create a return on investment.

Cheers!

LISWITH

Unspoken hero of the Sri Lankan Theatre industry Mr Obinamuni Gamini De Silva

Well I have been inspired by him often. He was a great mentor, my thanks to him would not be never be enough. He was the silent inspiration for me been a poet.

This is the tale of Mr. Obinamuni Gamini De Silva, he is unspoken hero for the Sri Lankan stage theater. He was student at his younger age at the Shakespeare Institute at Stafford Upon Avon. Later which he came back to Sri Lanka to start giving back to his home. He is patriotic in his own way. Once arriving back he started translating Shakespearean plays to Sinhala. He got to work beside Sri Lankan actors such as Kamal Adaarchchi, got mentored by great minds such as Professor Carlo Fonseka, and was the initial mentor for actors such as Nayana Kumar and Sarath Dickumbura. He too has performed in-front of one of the greatest Presidents of Sri Lanka Hon. J. R. Jayawardena.

He has successfully translated and produced Othello, Macbeth and Hamlet in Sinhala. He is lifetime member of the Sinhala Institute of Culture. Was a judge in the panel of Drama headed by the cultural ministry; Island wide Drama competition. He too is a senior member at SUNFO (Sri Lanka United Nations Friendship Organization).

Since 1989 I have personally seen the struggle of a man who dedicated his whole life to art. He knows no other way of life, no other form of passion, no greater calling than his love for the arts, been that producer, been that man who translated such great work of literature.

No matter what you shall always see him perform his dramas every April 24th. His final dream is to produce Othello in Sinhala as a movie.

He is an unsaid hero to the theater and drama of Sri Lanka, never been identified nor ever given the light to shine. I take this time as the greatest form of idolizing a hero of Sri Lanka Mr. Obinamuni Gamini De Silva.