Sri Lankan revival

There can't be too many destinations where deluxe hotel properties can boast of in-house elephant rides through exotic scenery and still offer first-class corporate meeting facilities, yet Sri Lanka is a country full of these and many other surprises for conference, exhibition and incentive (CEI) participants. The country's CEI industry is finally on an upswing. Two decades of civil conflict in the northern tip of the island state deterred many international visitors. However, today a peace process is taking hold and renewed stability is leading the country's venues to look once again at regional corporate event business. Blazing the trail is the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB), the specialist meetings unit of the country's national tourist organisation. The SLCB has led the way in putting Sri Lanka back on the map as a regional centre for conferences and meetings business and is an active force in promoting the south-Asian island's facilities throughout the Asia Pacific region and beyond. Manager, marketing and promotions at the SLCB, Ms Shyana Wijayaratne points out that whatever the outside world was led to believe, the travel industry in Sri Lanka never stopped even at the height of the armed conflict in the northeast of the country. "Even in the most adverse times we had business travellers coming here but now that the country is locked into a peace process the CEI sector can really develop," Ms Wijayaratne says. She points out the wide range of options available throughout the country from the cool hill country, to tropical rainforest to miles of golden sandy beaches all within a few hours of each other. "There are few other places that offer such natural bio-diversity within such a compact territory. Apart from snow, Sri Lanka has everything," Ms Wijayaratne says. SLCB general manager Mr Senthil Gopinath points to the tremendous potential CEI marketplace Sri Lanka has on its doorstep. "We are turning our focus more to Asia and the Indian subcontinent in particular. The booming IT industry and other sectors such as pharmaceuticals are especially prominent. For businesses in southern India centres, such as Chennai and Bangalore, Sri Lanka is a closer and more affordable option than Delhi or Mumbai. "We also expect business to grow from Pakistan when Sri Lankan Airlines opens its route to Karachi. Sri Lanka benefits from being perceived as a neutral venue given Indo-Pakistan rivalries," he stresses. "The small size of the island means that it is quite feasible to fit in shopping visits and sightseeing tours even with only a two- or three-day conference programme. Mr Gopinath concedes that much can be done to improve the country's infrastructure, principally its road network and telecommunications systems. He points out that the government already has plans for two major highway projects and now that the country is settling into a period of post-war reconstruction, various projects can now expect to receive greater state funding and foreign investment. Mr Gopinath, however, frankly admits that lack of air access from potentially lucrative markets, such as Australasia, is a weakness but believes that the recovery of Sri Lankan airlines (see box) and a more general recuperation of the Sri Lankan CEI industry will eventually lead to new advances there. The richness and variety of Sri Lankan culture is a major attraction the SLCB believes. The country is a vibrant mixture enriched by Sinhalese Buddhist traditions, Hindu Tamil customs, the influence of Arab traders, overlaid with the impact of successive waves of colonial rule by the Portuguese, Dutch and British empires. The effect has been to create a special blend of traditional south Asian civilisations with various Western elements, expressed in the country's architecture, cuisine and places of religious worship. Sri Lanka's main centre for conferences and exhibitions is the island's commercial capital Colombo. Outside Colombo, Mr Gopinath concedes, it becomes difficult to host sizeable events due to the shortage of suitably large venues and finding sufficient accommodation. Nonetheless for smaller meetings groups and those on incentive programmes, Sri Lanka provides a variety of options and local destination management companies (DMCs) will have no difficulty in mixing and matching different elements to suit organisers' wishes. South of Colombo lie a number of beach resorts, such as Beruwela, Waduwa, Bentota, Hikkaduwa down to the historic port city of Galle. Along this stretch, meeting organisers will find premier beach resorts and deluxe hotels capable of catering to high-end events. Inland there is the country's Cultural Triangle, marked out by the ancient religious and political centres of Kandy, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. The triangle includes within it the Dambulla caves and Sigiriya rock fortress, which provide perfect introductions to the island's thousands of years of history before colonial conquest. In the island's more deserted south-east region are the Uda Walawe, Gal Oya and Yala National Parks, ideal for group safaris. The hill country around "Little England" in Nuwara Eliya provides a touch of old-style colonial elegance with its Georgian and Queen Anne-style architecture and cooler climate. The central conference and exhibition venue in Colombo is the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) has 13 different halls and meeting rooms. The main assembly hall holds 1500 classroom style, while the banquet hall holds 850 theatre-style and a number of smaller function rooms can hold gatherings of 20-400 in various formations. Mr Bandhula Ekanayake, director general of the BMICH, says of the centre's location: "We are in the heart of Colombo close to five-star hotels and the business area and yet we are surrounded by greenery on all sides. Likewise we are just a couple of hours away from the coast or the hill country. Few centres have these advantages." The centre has recently added an exhibition centre built with assistance from China. This has a large exhibition hall of 1931sqm and a small exhibition hall of 1086sqm. The BMICH is located close by the major deluxe hotels in the city but it is currently considering adding accommodation facilities within its 40 acres of adjoining land. Mr Ekanayake is satisfied with the current level of demand for the centre, which generates enough revenue to keep the self-funding centre on an even keel. The country's second major complex, the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre (SLECC), has a column-free layout and can be partitioned. The full hall is almost 4000sqm in area and can hold a banquet of up to 2,000 people. there are also three small meeting rooms each holding 40 theatre-style. SLECC, general manager, Ms Shanti Outschoorn says the centre sees itself as part of a wider industry effort. "We are proud to be an integral part of promoting Sri Lanka as a CEI destination. In our capacity as a professional exhibition organiser, we offer an integrated total solution in exhibition management, logistics and infrastructure." Colombo's colonial heritage is perhaps best exemplified by the Galle Face Hotel, a Victorian-era property looking out on to the Indian Ocean. Mr Anura Lokuhetty, director of operations and development, says: "Our hotel aims to offer tomorrow's comforts with yesteryear's charms. We pride ourselves on old-fashioned personalised service in a unique atmosphere, we don't forget who the customer is. "We are reopening a refurbished wing of the hotel in December, which we describe as restored rather than modernised. We want to keep the hotel's character as an historic city icon and landmark. We are seeking to promote ourselves as a special niche hotel." The property has 84 rooms in total, including five royal suites and 18 executive suites and six meeting halls. Two of the largest halls can each hold 450 theatre-style, while smaller rooms can accommodate groups of 40 or 25. The seaview terraces and overall ambience make the Galle Face Hotel an attractive option for those hosting themed dinners, cocktail receptions and events with a strong historical theme. Close by, facing the Galle Face Green, is the 300-room Taj Samudra Hotel part of the Indian-based Taj group, which has three properties in Sri Lanka. Taj Sri Lanka general manager sales & marketing Ms Amal Goonetilleke says: "We are now seeing the whole CEI industry turning around. The years of crisis are behind us and we are faced with tremendous opportunities to bring in new business." Ms Goonetilleke also points out that with the Taj's other properties The Taj Airport Garden to the north of Colombo near Bandaranaike International Airport and the west-coast resort property Taj Exotica at Bentota, Taj offers an accommodation option covering city, coast and airport. The Samudra Ballroom holds 450-banquet style and six other meeting spaces can hold between 30 and 120 class-room style. The 162-room Taj Exotica, located about two hours south of Colombo on Bentota beach has capacity for 350 delegates theatre-style in the larger of its two halls. Another imposing Colombo five-star property is the 352-room Trans Asia Hotel, which positions itself as a resort-style hotel in the city and offers a panoramic view of the Beira Lake. The hotel also has an exclusive membership club The Library, which is also open to hotel residents Mr Shafeek Wahab, director of sales, praises the efforts of both Sri Lanka Airlines and the SLCB for their aggressive promotions of the country following the events of 911: "They took a step in the right direction, targeting short-haul traffic and particularly targeting the Indian market." Mr Wahab also believes there is no dearth of imagination or creativity in the CEI sector in Colombo and while admitting the country has some way to go to catch up with say Malaysia or Thailand in terms of infrastructure he points out that: "We must keep out of the pack instead of simply following it. We can offer the old Asian experience, an authenticity we should preserve. Our heritage is an asset and an attraction for visitors. We try to reflect this in our outdoor themed parties, for example." He also notes that there is a new confidence in the CEI sector, which is illustrated by the fact many Colombo hotels are refurbishing or otherwise expanding. The Trans Asia has five major meeting halls, the largest holding 550 theatre style and ten other smaller halls and meeting spaces. Nearby is the 384-room Hilton Colombo, which is adjacent to the World Trade Centre and boasts one of the widest ranges of food and beverage outlets in the city, ranging from modern fine dining to specialist Chinese, Italian and Japanese restaurants, an open-air Sri Lankan garden restaurant, a number of bars, a nightclub and British-style pub. Director, marketing communications, Hilton Colombo, Ms Yasmin Cader say:s "The Hilton Colombo has become a particular favourite for new product launches, especially among the automotive business. Mitsibushi and BMW, for example, have regularly used our facilities for dealer conventions and to unveil new models and brands to dealers and trade contacts. "We combine the strength of the international Hilton brand with convenience and some of the best facilities available in the whole of the city," Ms Cader says. The Hilton's Grand Ballroom, one of the largest on the island, can hold 650 people banquet style or 1,000 theatre-style. There are seven function rooms and six boardrooms. Among the other premier properties in Colombo are the 252-room Ceylon Continental and 446-room Galadari and the 310-room Colombo Plaza. Despite the battering taken by the CEI industry over the past 20 years, the level of professionalism has remained high. A strong professional conference organiser (PCO) sector exists and a number of mega-travel companies, such as the Jetwing and the John Keels groups, bring hotel properties, PCOs, professional exhibition organisers (PEOs) and incentive specialists under one roof. Director of marketing and sales at Jetwing Hotels Mr Lalin De Mel prides himself on the sheer range of the Jetwing operation and the options it can provide to meetings and incentive groups. "We can arrange anything from ticketing and hotel rooms through all stages of the conference or incentives process within the framework of a single company. We are effectively a one-stop shop for all kinds of CEI activities," he says. Mr De Mel outlines Jetwing Hotel's perspective of providing high-class properties in strategic locations for upmarket corporate clients. Recently LandRover brought some top executives from overseas to Sri Lanka for a four-day incentive, block-booking an entire luxury property to ensure privacy. Mr Dhammika Gunasekera manager of Jet Asia, Jetwing's PCO/PEO arm believes the group's ability to provide a back-up service across a range of disciplines i a crucial advantage. "In the case of exhibitions, for example, we can organise air and sea freight through our air cargo and shipping divisions or, for that matter, arrange publicity through our inhouse public relations department," Mr Gunasekera says. Mr De Mel underlines the uniqueness and variety of the activities on offer to incentive groups. "We can accommodate a group close to the tea plantations and arrange a tea-picking competition or we can take a group to the Yala Safari Game Lodge and give the group a chance to see exotic animals in the wild. "Or we can b ase a team in our boutique Lighthouse Hotel in Galle, an historic location close to beautiful beaches and perfect for diving and boating activities along the coast. Anything is possible." A similar "can-do" attitude prevails at the John Keells group. Within this suite of companies is John Keells Conventions, the group's PCO arm, Walkers Tours which handles the inbound group's general requirements, Keells Tours which provides luxury road transport and Keells Hotels, which owns and operates nine resorts in Sri Lanka with over 1000 rooms. Mr Vasantha Leelananda, managing director, Walkers Tours believes the difficulties of the past 20 years forced the industry to scramble for as much business volume as it could get. However, now that stability has returned he believes opportunities are ripe to concentrate on different niche sectors. The Keells properties are located in the key areas of the country; The Citadel at Kandy, Bentota Beach resort on the south-west coast, 150 lodges at The Chalet in Habarana in central Sri Lankan woodland, and a raft of properties along the coast. Like Jetwing, Keells has seen a growth of interest in incentive groups which are seeking to get off the beaten track and explore unfamiliar destinations. He notes Sri Lankan traditional Ayurvedic spa treatments have proven particularly popular. Some management courses are also attempting to incorporate eastern meditation and stress control techniques into mainstream corporate training sessions. Mr Leelananda sets out three essential elements he believes Sri Lanka needs in order to see the CEI sector really take off. "First, we need to ensure that the current peace process holds and then political and economic stability will be consolidated. Second, the country needs to make serious investments in our infrastructure. Third, we need to improve air access. By this, I mean not only more air links but also better ground-handling abilities. but with these factors in place, we can really see some progress." After nearly two decades of relative stagnation, the CEI industry in Sri Lanka is clearly hungry for business and raring to go forward.