DIGITILISED TOURISM TO PROMOTE SRI LANKA AS THE BEST TOURIST DISTINATION BEAUTIFUL SRI LANKA IS SUGGESTED AS THE BRAND NAME ON THE TOURISM MAP
Posted on November 22nd, 2024
Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel, former Ambassador to UAE and Israel Solicitor in England and Wales, President Ambassador’s Forum UK/SL
Best tourist destination ?
It is a known fact that Sri Lanka is one of the best tourist destinations – if not for the best- which is a beautiful compact Island in the Indian ocean with varied climatic conditions within hours in an excellent network of roads and other modes of communications with facilities for other modes of transport available with the excellent infrastructure and communication network. It is a historic island with a great history to be proud of on culture civilization places of religious significance and today an educated nation with high library rate IT skills and mobile penetration of over 160% countrywide with the citizen skilled in operation of modern digital platforms in consumerism with the rest of the world. It is happy to note the newly elected government and the energetic young President has pledged to introduce digitalisation in all the sectors including tourism that will open a new chapter on tourism promotion which is badly needed to the ailing and battered economy to be taken to the correct tract to give relief to the citizen pressed with issues on cost of living and indebtedness to the world for the past mistakes by previous regimes. World is developing fast towards Artificial Intelligence and the closest ally of AI is digitalisation which is the mode of compression of data and images in a compressed format to be able to transfer,store and to be utilized fast and easily in all kind of business, technology and administrative activities. In the modern world when the world happening are so fast and in all sectors Sri Lanka can not afford to be lagging behind when other tourist nations and growing faster in the most competitive tourism world which carries trillions to the world economy and respective GDPs of the nations thriving by tourist trade.
President’s inaugural speech at the parliament on digital Sri Lanka
His speech was long as usual and delivered without notes or a written paper by others which is normally the case on previous occasions. He spoke from his heart based on knowledge and experience in many areas in details surprising the listeners including the foreign dignitaries on his eloquence, knowledge of subject matters, continuity,and the convincing nature of the speech on digitalisation amongst many other matters discussed. Whilst justifying the appointment of Dr Hans Wijesuriya for the appointment he is amply suited to implement the digitalisation process in Sri Lanka, he put forward his vision and plan for the nation he is entrusted to represent based on his vision to the satisfaction of the citizen who are still undergoing hardships in all areas and respects with teh country as a nation during the difficult periods not in the vicinity of at least signs of successful future.
How will digitalisation help promote tourism ?
Digitalisation helps to store and forward the date and images fast accurately and technically for the promotional process of tourism in the modern form also towards Artificial Intelligence. A good example of implementation of AI is unmanned vehicles by Uber which is often used in tourism in Sri Lanka and worldwide. The other good news is that many digital and consumer platforms have initiated programs and implementation in Sri Lanka with easy access to the world on world affairs in business and eschatology. President AKD has reiterated that he will take steps to utilize digitalization developments which he has proved by taking the services of Dr Hans Wijesuriya who has chosen to lead ICTA whilst serving the President on voluntary basis are new and pleasant developments. Digitalisation may help expedite the system and prevent corruption and briary to the minimum as there could be an orderly system in place on digitalisation, that also will help to step into the next stage of Artificial Inelegancy obviously depend on the next steps strategies and implementation of strategies and policies.
Brand for Tourism in Sri Lanka Let us suggest ‘’Beautiful Sri Lanka’’ to be the brand name
Volume on tourism and hospitality edited by this author with 40 chapters and 330 pages is freely availabe on the Google Drive for the public
India’s Brand is Incredible India, and Malesia’s brand is Truly Asia and there is none on the internet on Sri Lanka and we suggest it to be ‘’ beautiful Sri Lanka’’ as it is a truly most beautiful compact island full of beauty and all requirements to be the best tourist destination. We hope the Head of Tourism Mr ‘Buddhadasa’ who appears to be a genuine and learned professional on the subject ( though I have not met him yet as I am based in UK planning to be in SL soon) take our suggestion forward to appropriate forums for Sri Lanka to have a brand name which is a requirement in promoting tourism which may be a boom to our GDP funds are badly needed. In Sri Lanka the largest contribution to GDP is on tourism which is 12%,and France 231 billion as the most visited nation, USA earns2.36 million UK 100 million are few examples of earnings on tourism for the GDP which are lessons for us as the most beautiful island with a great potential to contributes much more in billons if properly utilized the beauty and resources to suit the modern world.
Way forward for Sri Lanka to be the best tourist destination on the Globe
It appears we have a Minister who will read and listen and a professional to lead tourism in teh right direction, with no resistance from the top and also to be able to serve with not undue influence and free of bribery and corruption. These are our visions and thinking as observers, professionals and academics to give you guidance on implementation of the task before you entrusted by the people with great expectations and trust. It is your duty to implement it with no fer or favour to gather maximum to our GDP. Sarath Wijesinghe could be reached on sarathdw7@gmail.com The articles by the editor could be retried from the internet/ Towards the best destination of the globe – a reality/ Sri Lanka an ideal tourist destination in the future/Tourism in Sri Lanka to be the best destination of the globe/ Sri Lanka a Paradise tourists and tourism on the globe/Foreign policy foreign relations foreign policy and foreign relations/Cricket cinnamon tea and tourism/Comparative tourism regimes and world tourism day/Tourism and hospitality/World based omnipresent digital Normandy/SMEs on tourism the cradle of tourist industry/Is tourism booming in Sri Lanka/