Colombo University to hold Tourism Leaders’ Summit this September

From left: Praguna Management Consultant (Pvt.) Ltd Director Operations and Management T.B.B. Sumith, Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management Chairman and BMICH Director General Sunil Dissanayaka, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Chairman Paddy Withana, University of Colombo Economics Department Head Professor Rev. W. Wimalarathne, University of Colombo Master in Tourism Economics and Hotel Management Founder and Coordinator Dr. Suranga Silva, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Director Planning and Development Special Projects Upali Rathnayaka, University of Colombo Tourism Economics and Hotel Management Studies Academic Consultant/Public Events, Coordinator Kasun Abeynayake and Project Coordinator Anushka Perera
Pic by Waruna Wanniarachchi

By Zahara Zuhair
Parallel with the World Tourism Day, the Economics Department of the University of Colombo will be organising the Tourism Leaders’ Summit and International Research Symposium for the second time next month.

It will be held under the theme ‘Tourism for all - promoting universal accessibility’. 

Referring to the theme, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Paddy Withana said that as 15 percent of the world population has some sort of disability according to data, it is important to look at how to support them and how to insert facilities when building infrastructure for their convenience.

The event, which would take place on September 28, expects to provide an opportunity to develop a constructive dialogue for the development of tourism in the country and through the discussions, from the information and concept discussed, to improve and enhance the image of the industry. Their vision is to develop Sri Lanka as one of the most sought-after high-end and value for money travel destination in the world by 2020.
Commending the efforts of University of Colombo for organising such an event, Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management Chairman and BMICH Director General Sunil Dissanayaka said that through the results of the researches done by this programme, it would further help to enhance the industry.

Once the researches are done, it would be handed over to the tourism authorities to implement it, it was noted.
Talking about the tourism programmes offered by the university, Dissanayaka said that the university is fulfilling a gap in academic education for industry personnel, whereas there is a shortage of short-term courses for industry professionals in the country.

“This type of higher education for industry professional was a long felt need to take the industry forward, which would enable managers be developed. As you know, during the next two years, we require 23,560 new jobs through the new hotels that are being developed. Out of that, 10-15 percent will be at management level,” he said.

The International Research Symposium under the theme of ‘Integrating and Networking Sri Lanka Tourism Development for all’, would feature eminent academics while the Tourism Leaders’ Summit will include several panel discussions on timely issues and concerns for tourism as a whole, it was noted.

University of Colombo Master in Tourism Economics and Hotel Management Founder and Coordinator Dr. Suranga Silva said that the main objective of the programme is to contribute to the sustainable development in Sri Lanka by bridging the gaps of research, knowledge and action.

He noted that they believe that action-oriented evident-based research is very important, noting that through the outcome of the researches, they hope to deliver to the tourism industry.
“Following the successful summit held last year, we have undoubtedly established a secure foundation for the industry personnel to develop a constructive dialogue for tourism development in Sri Lanka. We consider it is our national duty and reasonability to further strengthen this platform to contribute to the national economy,” he said.

In addition to that they also have organised several other events such as the Colombo City Tour with differently abled students, school awareness programme targeting 10 schools in Colombo to educate on tourism for all, an art competition, a tree planting event, tourism day walk, cricket match, tourism day quiz, etc.