The Number One Piece of Marketing Content required for your business.

 

How many business articles do you read per day?

If you are within an industry, you read an average of 5 - 10 articles a day from what I have realized from my immediate society.

The only form of marketing very effective would have content written about your product or company to gain awareness; have a minimum of 4 articles written per year.

Examples of what could be published :

• About your founders
• What kind of business do you do?
• An Interview with your company and someone using your product how it has changed their lives.
• Products you own
• Company culture
• Achievements or Awards.

Why is this important this is how we gain new customers, engage with old ones, educate others we have these products someone who never knew this was a possibility could engage, and use this to showcase company culture to anyone willing to join.

How to pick which press to reach out to? Find someone with an online presence, if you are in a business example in Sri Lanka like Daily FT, Arteculate, or Pulse. If writing about the founders, still the earlier mentioned publications, and you could add LMD, and for showcasing at an office party or event use Hi Magazine or Pulse.

Now I have given you a handbook you can follow.

Happy Engaging!

LISWITH

Has COVID truly changed how we view our world and what we do in it?

 

So these are few interesting stories I am going to tell you about how my immediate society has changed:

One night we receive a picture on our family WhatsApp group of our grandma watching something. 

Grandma was attending a zoom meeting organized by Sanasa bank which made all of us think about how COVID had changed even her immediate patterns and culture of living.

Life continued and when it was time for the second dose of the vaccine in the area where she lives, she was telling my aunt and uncle how did you not know they were conducting it the Gramasevaka has a Whatsapp group where they update this information why are you not a part of it? This was a random conversation that occurred over lunch, where she had obtained vital information about her society.

Last but not least Grandma is a teacher by profession and member who is still very active in her society a person people go for guidance and advice.

Her thirst for learning has never ended. Now she has a new form of learning recently when electricity shortage happened, I was around and told her "ah crap electricity is gone" to which she replied "I have my phone and youtube, I can watch and learn on this" " I have agriculture, Buddhism, cooking, and stitching which I can learn all day via this"

She is from a generation where a PC was a miracle, now she uses WhatsApp to be updated, Zoom to attend meetings, and Youtube to learn.

This is the last story I promise and this one is rather cute Buddhika Aiya's son has always been loved by us, and he is a joy in our lives; he is three years old but a very intuitive child. 

It was his birthday he was chilling, eating cake, and playing around. Dad asked him what do you want to be when you grow up now that you are older, just like any child he gave the top-of-the-head answer " I want to be a Policeman" to which dad asked, "Then what are you doing to do?"

Our wall has pictures of the family, he looked, pointed, and said "I am going to arrest everyone without masks"

It is his new normal from his understanding age and what he has seen in this world, people wear masks it is illegal not to wear it he was doing a lawful thing arresting them.

These stories are from people with different ages of life and culture and how they view this world and do things changed with COVID, can you imagine the impact created by the pandemic of each of our lives.

Think about work from home, balancing the dynamic of having kids at home, being on calls with meetings, and attending to house chores altogether.

What life has become since this pandemic, if you take lightly the impact on life think again. COVID has changed us humans on how we think, behave, learn, tolerate or even dress.

This change we are going through is real and a shift in human history on how we view our world.

Cheers!

LISWITH

In Sri Lanka obtaining a Housing Loan

 

• Ensure you have at least 25 – 30% of the total value of the house you are trying to buy.

• To get a loan different parts of Sri Lanka to have a different minimum requirement in land size to be qualified for a loan. E.g.: Kaduwela Biyagama a land should be over 6 perch to qualify for a loan.

• Make sure from your salary you do not take salary advances for 6 months before applying for the loan, as they check up to 3 months if the exact total amount to the digit is deposited.

• Make sure your company does bank-to-bank transactions and not cash deposits; very important.

• EPF and ETF should be shown and paid for to qualify for ANY loan in Sri Lanka.

• They check your salary with your HR, not only giving salary slips is not enough.

• Interest rates there is TWO, fixed means a fixed amount is a charge, or a variance means it can go high but can down too as per bank, economy and other situations of the country.

• If under a mortgage, they have a valuation process done, they have government officials to check on the deeds, House insurance charges, legal charges, stamp duty, and many others they slowly charge too, so have a buffer of money too.

• When the loan is approved and the house is bought, they do not hand over your deed. The deed is handed over once the loan amount is paid in full. You can request a copy certified by the bank for your use e.g.: visas and land tax to be changed to your name so on so forth.

This is my personal experience of things :)

Hope this helps!

Youtube has advice for loan and outright purchases : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoAbCtz9ID0

Cheers!

Liswith

Improving the Visa and Booking Process Post Covid for Sri Lanka

 

Due to ever-changing rules, and approval confusion where there is no reference to the forms submitted by Travel agents in Sri Lanka. Most travel agents I speak to are very discouraged to sell or promote Tourism now in Sri Lanka.

Excepts for big players who already have taken a big stronghold in specific markets.

My suggestion for improvements, remove all the Form A and Form B and using Google Forms. We are tech-savvy than that as a nation.

I shall guide step by step how it can be improved, using ONLY the immigration site :

• Use existing immigration visa site

• Client applies for Visa, gets a reference.

• Using the Visa reference, agents have a backend portal where they fill in client details confirming this is their client.

• Using the Visa reference, Tourist Board (assign people specific market-wise) approves agent details.

• Using the Visa reference, the immigration officer confirms the visa once the tourist board official approves the workflow chain.

• Once Visa is approved, travel agent fills in a detailed summary of places visited, driver details so on using the same Visa reference number.

• Before clients arrive using the same Visa reference number, they fill in an online declaration to reconfirm their arrival and details, this is to be done 24 hours before arrival.

That Singular Visa Reference number can be used to track each step by client, travel agent, tourist board, and immigration.

You want it to can one extra step when PCRs are taken of tourists use the same Visa reference as identification.

The entire process can be handed over to a company in Sri Lanka that can develop this overnight.

My process might be flawed, but it will improve workflow structure, there shall be one reference to identify the entire process and tracking of a booking.

This is how you improve tourism in Sri Lanka.

More references on my vision for Sri Lanka Tourism : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whom-may-concern-my-vision-sri-lankas-tourism-liswith-obinamuni

Cheers!

LISWITH

Should we have "Local Private Universities" in Sri Lanka?

 

So there is a big argument going on about Free Education in Sri Lanka.

When it comes to Higher Education, there should be free education as it currently applies like Colombo, J'pura, and other universities.

This does not mean Local Universities should not be given the chance to open up for things like Medicine, Engineering so on "Local Private Universities" this should be an option to chose too.

Why is this important:

• Amount of students traveling to countries like Bangladesh, Russia, and China will reduce as this would be locally available.
• With riots, rag, and the rallies make years spent longer, one who wishes can go for an option where they skip that and finish their given degrees and the promised time frame. 
• Why is this important: this gives opportunities for new batches to continuously join in than current students wasting many more years in university.
• This opens a whole new revenue scheme for Sri Lanka as a country, where we can attract students globally from other countries "Sri Lanka an educational hub" within South Asia.
• They will rent housing, support our economy in USD paying to universities, and living costs too which get injected into our economy.

This does not limit us as a country but helps us expand as a country, fewer students spend money in our countries for education, Sri Lanka gets accredited as an educational hub for higher education in South Asia, we get influx and support the local economy opening doors to the rest of the world too to study and live within our borders. Long term, as a community we get to be inspired by other cultures and people, these universities do not need to be based within Colombo either. Our lectures are teaching in other countries, our Deans and heading administration in other countries time we attract our fellow citizens to earn better and serve our home.

This is my two cents on what could be done to expand who we are as a country.

Do think about it.

Post Covid Number One Destination

 

POST-COVID, visiting the Maldives is very simple.

Make sure your passport has more than 06-month validity for travel.

Return Air Ticket.

A good camera, or a phone with a good camera as the Maldives is the MOST Instagrammable destination.

Beach Wear, Swimwear packed.

Negative result PCR test for COVID 19, the test should be conducted within a maximum of 96 hours before departure to THE MALDIVES.

PCR test document containing the test result should state your name as in passport, Passport Number, Name and Address of the testing laboratory, type of test stated as a PCR test, Date of Sampling, and Result.

In accordance with the health requirements when you are traveling to the Maldives you are required to submit an ONLINE SELF-DECLARATIVE HEALTH DECLARATION via https://imuga.immigration.gov.mv/ within 24 hours before their departure TO and FROM the Maldives.

For your return, you can obtain your PCR test at whichever resort you are staying at, ensure to inform the resort once you have checked in.

One last thing, I cannot stress this enough take tonnes of pictures, make sure you snorkel or dive underwater in the Maldives is whole different beauty which I cannot describe in words.

Ok enough of me boring you, make sure at least once in your lifetime you visit the Maldives.

Cheers!

LISWITH

The Maldives – Why is it different and exotic?

 Ever wondered that the Maldives is a 100% on arrival visa country and visa-free country to the entire globe. 

If the visa is free and easily accessible, why is it not sold by every travel agent?

Because it is unlike other destinations, operationally and luxury-wise. 

Most travel agents compare the Maldives to Dubai, Thailand, and many other destinations which is a wrong comparison, because those destinations and the Maldives are poles apart.

• The Maldives has every global brand from Asia, Middle East, Europe, or the Americas under one roof.
• Operationally in Dubai, or any other destination, you arrive and get into your car or coach and you leave immediately. In the Maldives, there is a wait time for your transfer.
• In other countries, transfers may occur according to a timetable prescheduled; when it comes to speedboats or seaplanes there is no prescheduled transfer pick-up drop-off time that can be shared months in advance.
• The Maldives cannot be compared even in the budget to most destinations, when told "oh in this country a 5 star is only this amount", compared to most countries the Maldives sells an exclusive form of luxury so the price is set as such too.
• The way you sell or market most destinations is not how you market the Maldives, so please stop comparing.
• If you have not noticed a larger number of Travel Agents or DMCs that sell the Maldives, only sell the Maldives not a mix of lots of destinations unless you are in the airlines business too.
• The Maldives is not a shopping fiesta destination, where go to the city for a quick bite, shop a little, and come back.

• The Maldives is a Robison Crusoe experience.
• The Maldives is the only destination that embodies the true meaning of a holiday; you are disconnected, you are not in a rush or timetable. You are relaxed, you travel on most holidays if not to wake up earlier than you usually do and be tired than you normally are.
• Maldives one resort is one island mostly.
• The Maldives is not the casino, gambling, and clubbing destination.
• The Maldives wonders and pampers you like no other, from the view you wake up to, to the hospitality they provide, the meals they prepare you, to the luxury and wonders they own they are a magical destination on their own.
• Other countries vs Maldives transfers: cars, vans, coaches, limos, and the Maldives is a speedboat, domestic flight, and seaplane (transfers never have been that scenic ever)
• The Maldives is about strolls, reconnecting, family time, romantic time, dinner under the stars, lying on the beach checking the most crystal-clear water and that is the Maldives!
• One thing most do not realize every resort island is a tiny high-end fully functional city, they house their team, have telecommunications, sewage disposal, water purification, medical facilities, and resort offices. This all exists along with luxurious villas, restaurants, kids clubs, spas, and gyms; that my friend is the Maldives.

I ask again; If the visa is free and easily accessible, why is it not sold by every travel agent?

The Maldives is not just another destination, but also an art where the destination has been marketed and positioned uniquely, how amazingly beautiful and unique it is, the unique luxuries it owns like underwater villa, underwater restaurants, and many more.

 The Maldives is like no other destination you have ever sold! Trust me once you start marketing, promoting, and selling this destination it has an addictive allure on its own.

I am not only a person who sells the Maldives, to date I am in love with this destination, I am not promoting it as a job but as a passion.

If you are ever planning to sell the magical destination this might help you: https://spark.adobe.com/page/bBje0VWUGCSNO/

 Much Love,

Liswith Obinamuni

Things to know when selling Quarantine Packages on a budget to the Maldives

 

The Maldives does not have rooms counts like 400 rooms per resort, or room type.

The Maldives local guest house or resorts gets sold out very fast as it is globally sold.

Most budgeted properties are sold out till third week of August already (today being 31st July 2021)

Stop comparing other destination prices with the Maldives, as this is destination that standard very unique to themselves.

Cheers!

LISWITH

Pink Drives is seeking Crowd Funding

 

What is Pink Drives Pvt Ltd.?

Pink Drives specializes in offering a premium taxi service driven by ladies exclusively for the ladies and kids in Sri Lanka.

What are we solving?

The objective is to provide a dedicated taxi service for safe transportation for women while also empowering female drivers.

The idea behind it is that the male-dominated transportation industry presents a threat to the safety of women in many parts of the country and the world as well.

Women contributing to the household economy is uncommon and frowned upon, we are planning on changing that giving ladies and their respective families a chance to take part and revolutionize the thinking pattern in Sri Lanka's economical circles.

We are educating husbands and families of Sri Lanka on the importance of this change in society while their loved ones are safe being a part of Pink Drives.

The Lady drivers are not just a driver taking a taxi ride, but Ladies who are empowering and guaranteeing the safety of other Ladies and Children within their society.

Pink Drives is a solution that provides a safe environment for Ladies and children traveling.

What are we seeking in Crowd Funding?

Are we seeking a monetary value? No, we are not.

We are seeking the help of our society to break the societal norm.

Most Ladies who are willing to join, have last-minute fears about how society might judge them, their loved ones may not like this endeavour.

We are seeking your help in encouraging one lady to be empowered and join us in this cause of safe transportation for women and children in Sri Lanka.

Thank you!

LISWITH

Growing old : Part One

 

So this story is about growing old.

I a 32 yr old man, have watched a lot of my legends grow old.

This story is two-fold, this conversation will have part one.

So the older I have got I have watched my mentors and legends get old too.

With their age and their life experience they bring so much to the table that a 32-year-old man cannot see.

I could be the most intelligent human and still be lacking the life experience they own, with kids, family, businesses, and managing relationships.

With age, a certain amount of assurance of what you are doing is right comes to one; this is the right investment, this is the right move, I can run things even alone, I have watched the market, this is how it is in business we do lose money. These are all statements I have heard.

As a young adult and an adult, I have seen some wrong moves been made; I have spoken out loud and tried to voice my opinion saying please do be careful.

With my age and almost half their experience, I have zero reasons to tell any of my mentors what to do.

I have seen greats fall because they knew in their heart and soul, this was the right move. Call it age, call it growing old, call it confidence, or call it when you reach the top you feel unbreakable.

One wrong move can sometimes make all the dominos fall.

I would like to tell everyone who is my age; your mentors, parents, and grandparents need your support too.

I understand the mentality you thinking Woah, it is their life, their hard-earned money; what gives me the right to advise them hence I would not. This might be TRUE, but do voice it so they are slightly compelled to think in a different scope. You cannot change people, but can always inspire new thoughts in them

As a kid, I was always told you never lose, until you give up. Practice that!

Always do voice it, they might need your help even if they did not know.

I have failed at it once in my life personally, and I told myself never again. Your elders guided you, took care of you in life, it is your turn to try and help them too.

Do give this a thought.

Cheers!

LISWITH

My Lockdown Journey

 

Wow, this year has been nothing but stressful.

Part 01

In March Sri Lanka closed down, Maldives followed. I am from the tourism industry and a trade that came to a full stop due to COVID. I am a Maldives destination specialist when the destination closed I felt the walls closing in, the salary cuts starting my mind screamed the end was near. I am a man of stability, I have always learned different disciplines, helped so many in their businesses but always been the dude who did this one job. Stability went to the gutter I was left stranded alone on an island. What do I do, I started by fueling myself with the hope that trade will not die. I kept writing, inspiring myself and others we are global trade we cannot die.

Part 02

Mom always told me with the skillsets I own try doing some online courses, because I do not own degrees, I am not the certified Sri Lankan that is deemed by society. She has been advising this for over a decade, me not being certified never bothered me even though that is the singular thing that even keeps me from migrating. I was continuously learning never did it bother me to be certified. Randomly I saw this advert on Project management curiosity got the best of me before I knew it I was addicted. The next few months 12 courses I had completed https://www.linkedin.com/in/liswith-obinamuni/.

Part 03

My mind was still uneasy, I never been this unstable in over a decade (oh yeah I lived a very colorful life). I was frustrated and angry. I had a call with a friend of mine name Charith Heenpalla (Sri Lanka’s Best Food Photographer) was telling I want to try a new project, do it with someone. I was whining that I feel aimless and bored. A few days later he came with this idea findafreelancer.lk and we started working on the platform. After many sleepless nights, a few months in we presented to Sri Lanka www.findafreelancer.lk. The platform allows you to showcase your talent to business owners for free. The platform is free for the freelancer and the business that is searching for new talent.

Part 04 & Part 05 Overlap

First was the start of a journey of something inspiring, me and Duval Weerakoone (aka Malla, The Managing Director of The Nescius and Kubeira Holdings Pvt Ltd.) met with Ruwani and Geeshan Bandara (Wedding War Photographer) (aka the showrunners) two remarkably focused and driven people. This was the start of Patta History https://www.youtube.com/c/pattahistory/ journey, I have never met creatives, and individuals like I say ape Lamai who are so incredibly talented. Hearing every music beat, watching every storyboard come to life, see the passion that went into hardcore research, the art that gave this life OH MY GOD to date it is unbelievable. So much love went into this project and so much love is being received thanks to the incredible team I get to work with, being the taskmaster they so fondly hate (love you guys). This project to me is pure magic.

During this same time, Mr. Shohan Kulasuriya (aka Shohan Uncle) a serial entrepreneur (Founder of Mankiwwa) was starting something that is going to revolutionary for Sri Lanka being Sri Lanka’s First Lady Driven chauffeur service exclusively for ladies and kids. He asked if I wanted to join the founding team of Pink Drives. I was very excited, so much work went in before all you saw that launch held at Galadari. I met inspiring people during this journey, making commercials something I had never seen firsthand, helped in organizing the event in the small way I knew how to, onboarding incredibly strong ladies for the endeavor. This is being an experience of me entering the whole entrepreneur lifestyle wholeheartedly. 

Pink Drives http://www.pinkdrives.com has so much love and hope for me in my heart. There shall be challenges but along a great team, it is never impossible.

Now coming back what happened to the travel industry? Have you given up Liswith?

No, every day I have worked since March lockdown to date. I still am the destination specialist for the Maldives. I still am selling, promoting, and loving every bit of the destination I promote. It was never a job for me, I enjoy what I do. I have been blessed that all the skills I have learned and applied in all of the above projects I learned from this trade. I have got to work with some of the hardest working and passionate people I know.

This journey I am writing of did not take years, this all happened end of March 2020 to 01 Nov 2020.

I am untalented like people say, but if I could you can. Work is not a chore but an inspiration to grow yourself. Remember that every task that seems impossible that you are given, once you learn it no one can ever steal it from you. It grows you, it grows your mind, it grows your brand.

Anytime you message me I will always be there to help anyone in any way I possibly can.

2020 is rough, I think it will get rougher. Distract your mind with amazing things and you won’t feel how bad of a show it was.

Much love!

LISWITH

UNtalented

My entire life I have consistently heard that I was untalented this never took me down but inspired me to be more than what the system required of me.

I have had the privilege of working with great businessmen, entrepreneurs, and borderline geniuses but most lacked the focus to see a plan through.

Call me an idiot but I will try and game plan till I run things to the ground or succeed. I shall not give up.

As a child, my father used to say you don't pick winners on how they live life but on the day that they die. 

You can live with all the glamour you can fathom and die with nothing in hand, or be the person who made nothing of life when they were alive but celebrated after their death.

"You never lose until you give up."

I have had the blessing of streamlining so many talented people, making them shine and building up a habit within them.

I never saw the point of gaining all the knowledge the internet and the world have to offer if we do not use it for the better.

Till to date everything I have learned, I have used it to the point of abuse (my brother says this) until I exploit every end of it. 

With every job that I have matured with I have built my own network, and every time it has being from scratch. This has helped me build my own little personal brand along the years of working.

Storytime:

Once a friend of mine was stuck with a program, where I was assisting the project. I had no prior experience of this software nor any prior knowledge of this industry. I watched him say no to me way too many times than I could handle. I asked him to get up, I sat down, I googled it, I did it. Current day of life, it may not always be of the knowledge you possess but the ability to find the answers you seek.

All I understood in life is there are no breaks, every day is a workday, every day is a learning day, and every day finding shortcuts kind of day.

I might give up one day or horribly fail (no clue what the future holds) but till that point, tiI will always continue to help, assist, and inspire you.

That is the superpower of the untalented.

Cheers!

LISWITH

Teach to Teach; the art of sharing knowledge

I shall give you a tip on engaging more with your team and your business partners.

What do you know me for? The Maldives? Helping you in marketing? Business ideas? or Writing?

Over the years, I understood that experience in trade means little to me moving forward with time.

I started writing business articles first it was a hobby to keep my ideas fresh and my mind busy.
Later with time I was a trainer, I learned to share my skills, my knowledge, and my discipline with my team members. I made a syllabus and helped them grasp the best I could with knowledge from product to offers to sales.
I replicated the same principle to my business partners, even if you did not sell the product I would equip you with the tools to sell it. Train the team with information with confidence to market the product.
I proceeded to write a Novice Selling Guide for the Maldives and sharing with my business partners. I turned this into a habit sharing information; always tried to empower them, maybe it is business, the skills of sales and marketing, or the products I sell.

If you know me, I have a blog for the business that entails the destination I sell, a fresh set of eyes on ideas for selling, entering new or emerging markets, being an entrepreneur, HR, and management styles.
My LinkedIn is always filled with information that you can improve your skills, and gain knowledge.

Knowledge sharing became my thing. Every interesting article I read was shared. Every business idea or marketing thought process was blogged. Even certificate I did, I helped others do the same and gain the same level of expertise.

I am never selfish in sharing my knowledge with anyone, my business partners, or my friends.
Over the years my business partners saw more value in what I do because I do it passionately and I always provide them with help and assistance not only in the products I sell but in any problem, in general, they face in business.

I learn the power of teaching someone, empowering them to strive for more.

Your want it to sounds like more of a business point of view: the more you equip your partners in what you do, what you sell they more confident they become in you and your products. When they make money, is when you make money.

I shall always be open to ideas, you can always discuss any product anything with me as always I will be open ears.

Never be selfish in business or life, learn to teach, if anyone is searching for talent to join their team help them, anyone is seeking a job lend a hand help if a business you think more awareness with the public and you know can do it if you learn a skillset and you think someone else too can benefit encourage them.

Always remember that not all returns on investments are about money.

Let's learn the art to teach.

Cheers!

LISWITH

Lessons learnt being a trainer

I am going to write short stories of experiences I have learned from my life personally and professionally :

I was a trainer for the entire team who handled or sold the product. Being a trainer at the start was an incredible challenge, but we slowly developed a methodology so that it could be re-implemented by any new trainer.

I used to train new recruits in batches and once in a way my superior would check up on the status of their training as an informal update.
One time there was a batch of recruits who were slow, so I was pacing out the training process to fit their needs.

Randomly as always, my superior checked up on the status of the training and I mentioned we were behind schedule.

Now pay attention to the next part of the story very carefully.

My superior asked me "Liswith have you ever gone to school?". 

I replied rather annoyed, "Yes". 

My superior asked me "Do teachers slow the syllabus midterm or go as per schedule till the end of the semester even if there were weak students?". 

I replied, "No, teachers assist the weaker students but they stick to the syllabus and schedule". 

My superior asked, "Then what should weak students be doing?". 

I replied, "Stay after school get help, or do more revision". 

My superior replied, "Exactly, they have to stay and ask for help or when they get home to revise their lessons".

The importance of this story is that deadlines and timelines are not supposed to be shifted or missed.
While the duties of the company are to train you and assist you, it is yours to put the time to improve your skills for your job as well.

I hope reading this sparked your mind.

LISWITH

The Maldives - The Sun Will Shine Again

I am writing this not a travel agent but as a fellow traveler.

When travel is ready from the world the sun shall definitely shine again to the Maldives.

I have been selling the Maldives for over 8 years now. Visited many resorts the beautiful nation has to offer.

Yes, the ocean is turquoise and crystal clear. The beaches are filled with white sands. The sky has never been starrier.

This is not only why Maldives would be the ideal place to travel POST COVID.

Maldives is the ONLY holiday destination I have been to. Why do I say ONLY? What is a holiday for you?

A time table, a hop on hop off bus, someone telling you when the bus shall stop for bathroom breaks, or leave you when late for your tour? Do these signify as a holiday to you?

Oh my god, I hate stress on my holidays. I hate to be told a time table on my holiday. The Maldives is the holiday destination because it has no time table, no one calling your room and saying when you can do what.

You make your own time table; You want to sleep in till late? Want to wander the beach in the middle of the night with your partner? Want to go for a swim at 6am? Want to drink champagne all day by the pool? Want to go snorkeling? Want to read a book by the beach?

Did any of these seem stressful to you? and remember none of these came with a time table.

Maldives shall always be the ONLY destination in the world to have ALL imaginable hotel chains "Under One Roof"

Social distancing post-COVID; the Maldives is One Island One Resort. Water Villas or Beach Villas are built further away from each other for utmost privacy (social distancing).

Resort islands are not highly populated like Resorts built in cities. No strangers or visitors randomly come by your Resort unlike in city hotels/resorts globally.

I fell in love with the Maldives years back, to me, it is my holiday destination and my second home.

This is a warning; remember once you travel to the Maldives, no destination will ever be able to replace that holiday.

It is irreplaceable, unforgettable, memories that never shall wash away.

The Maldives - The Sun Will Shine Again

Yours Truly

LISWITH

Tourism Industry, we need to unite and it is now.

Destinations are opening up and the people can see a ray of light.

Countries are opening up with UNTWO and WHO standards in place. Destinations are providing assistance for holidaymakers and the tourism trade by tax reductions, visa fee reduction, destination promotions, and loans to stay positive amidst everything.

Resort and Hotels have slashed prices, they are currently trying to push domestic travel within their borders too. They have started webinars, virtual tours of their properties, slashed prices to attract holidaymakers, and many more incentives to encourage travel. This all comes with hygiene standards and safety precautions taken as per UNWTO and WHO standards.

This thought came to me in the middle of the night; What happens with airlines?

Our industry is not a solo game but a dependent collaboration, we are all one large unit operating separately.

The airlines, cruises, trains, resorts, tour operators, dependent trades, and governments.

Earlier holidaymakers booked destinations that fit their budget. This means hotels and ground handling that fit their holiday budget.

The world opened up more and this trend changed later to; let’s travel to countries that fit my air ticket budget.

Air ticket prices became a major contributing factor for tour operators and holidaymakers to decide on what destination we sell or visit.

Let’s talk about airlines and the difficulties they might face, solutions, and current observations:

• Expats that traveled back home noticed that prices of airline ticket prices had doubled.
• One way tickets I assume for the coming months shall remain hiked, as airlines too under a very difficult situation.
• With the opening of borders, will the UNWTO, WHO, and governments enforce one seat kept free regulation? If this is implemented this might result in a price hike as airlines still have a large operating cost to bare from staff, government taxation, fuels, maintenance, and airport charges.
• If only health and hygiene standards have to be met, will airlines hike the prices until things return to normal? Which in turn would be a difficulty for destinations who opened up, where holidaymakers cannot afford the air tickets.
• The competition within the airlines too will always have to remain as they have to protect their products and QA standards.
• Will IATA regulated fares be the solution like the old days?
• Will regulation a maximum and minimum fare from what region to region (Eg: Europe to South Asia) flight operates be the solution?

Can we suggest more solutions to the TOURISM INDUSTRY?

Kindly note we cannot devise a game plan without everyone coming to the table.

No use if resorts and hotels give discounts if governments charge high visa fees.

Pointless if resorts slash room rates if airlines hike their prices?

No use if airlines, resorts, tour operators, and travel agents open up, without governments assisting them. This so that they can keep their existing staff with financial support and ensure standards and protocols can be efficiently carried out.

Can we unite and come to a solution? The tourism industry is large, it is not only dependent on airlines, resorts, and tour operators. Other contributors, like public spaces (museums and malls), engineers, accountants, restaurants, and even the clothing industry would have a major impact if the tourism trade shall remain to be in turmoil.

Let us unite! Anytime during the day, I shall be open for bouncing of ideas and how we can push to implement them.

We need to unite and it is now.

Cheers!

LISWITH

WFH meeting problems, and their solutions.

I have been talking to others in different trades, how things are going with work and life?
Some have told that meetings held have become stressful, dramatic, and at times annoying.

Let us try some ideas on how we can improve them?

When Team leaders are presenting during the meeting as Managing Director or CEO  do not let others unnecessarily intervene.
Each person will get their turn to talk. Team leaders do not talk down or intervene in another Team Leader's presented ideas.
If presenting an opposing idea for another Team Leader's department ensure to back it up with proof.

Each meeting will have points to be discussed or presented, stick to them strictly. If further points need to be discussed, schedule it for the next meeting. This is to give time for all team members to come prepared.
Do not drag the meetings as an unnecessary debate or discussion.

Lastly to every problem you bring to the table, come along with two or three solutions. Are these solutions supposed to be perfect? No, they just have to be solutions where the team can assist you, or help you with a different approach. The problems and stated solutions can be brainstormed as a team, not told why it cannot be done.

I hope this helped you or sparked your mind.

Cheers!

LISWITH

Hotel General Managers - Automation is not POST COVID it is NOW

I hope automation becomes a big part of the future for the hospitality industry.

Here are some ideas :

Large scale disinfectants of vegetables when transported to hotel/resort facilities.
Once the stock does arrive a conveyor takes the stock, counts the goods via an IoT solution, and passes it through a disinfecting chamber so that it can safely be collected by your team members.

Contactless menus for hotels/resorts where they can pay via Touch Pay / Card or scan hotel key where it shall be added to the guest's final bill.

CCTV cameras that detect if your team is wearing masks. A thermal sensor too can be integrated so that you see if your team members are spiking a fever.

These are some solutions other the WHO standards that all hotels/resorts are supposed to maintain.

If you think these are ideas you would like to implement at your property and it spiked your interest, let us talk.

Cheers!

LISWITH 

Did we truly embrace the NEW NORMAL Sri Lanka?

It is day two since life returned back to normal in Colombo.

We are already rushing to the supermarkets and standing in line excited.
Everyone was speaking how life shall change and that we all shall be shopping on online stores and moving forward to a more social distancing lifestyle.

Soon as this lockdown was lifted we started gathering back at our homes, even to say hi and hello.

We had so many webinars on how WFH “Work from Home” shall be the NEW NORMAL.

Most are back at work again because we were bored at home, or our superiors were bored at home.

Yes if your work was affected in the past 50 days and if you were not productive during this period, and physically being at your workplace is how you earn and are productive, please go to work.

I am not saying life should not go back to normal but should go back to the “new normal”.
We had so many webinars, Zoom meetings, Skype meetings, and endless Facebook posts on the NEW NORMAL. How fast did it take for us to slip back into the old ways?

If you were productive being home; if you worked every day, met your deadlines, ensured that you assisted your team on their work, and at meeting their objectives, please continue to do so at home. 

If you bought groceries online or from the truck that came to your home please continue to do so.

Thanks to all the business owners, drivers, delivery truck owners who brought us food and essentials, you guys are heroes! Our gratitude and appreciation cannot be expressed in words.
I urge you to continue those deliveries, firstly this would help the general public to create a habit and secondly would stop everyone from complaining that we had to go to the store because we are not getting any essentials to our homes.

Let’s try the simple things that we can do so that all we hear on news COVID-19 does change to something slightly normal.

Writing to you from home!

LISWITH

Airports - Post-COVID let's make it safer shall we?

Post-COVID, all airports shall have thermal scanners, PCR tests, and maintenance of social distancing but let's see what more can we brainstorm to make airports safer.

Air ticket & Passport scanning for entry into the airport for passengers.
Passengers encouraged on receiving e-boarding passes even if checked in is at the airport. You shall be receiving an email with baggage tag, and seat number reference and aisle.
No longer immigration forms to be filled and PHYSICALLY given, scanning of passports, boarding pass, and visa for the retrieval of the relevant information. After info gathered an e-signature of the thumbprint of the passenger can be taken.
All transactions at the airport maintained in a strict contactless manner via card or touch-pay, cash can be used only for money exchanges.
Contactless menus, where the required meal can be booked via the airline app before boarding after the check-in process is done.

These are my input for making airports and air travel safer for passengers. I think point three should be seriously thought of so much contact for people coming together to fill that embarkation and disembarkation forms, they share pens, and this is a process that can be electronically replaced than an immigration offer collecting pieces of paper.

I hope reading this sparked your mind.

Stay safe, Stay healthy please do Stay home.

LISWITH