Developing Mattala Airport

New pragmattic apporch needed

by Dr Janaka Ratnasiri

The Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting held on 27.02.2020 has decided to grant several concessions to airlines operating through Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), with a view to recommencing the International scheduled airline flight operations at the MRIA, based on a paper submitted by the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation. Among the concessions granted are waving off the embarkation tax, discounts on ground handling charges and supplying fuel at discounted prices. This will naturally reduce the revenue from the Airport.

Mattala as a tourist hub

However, a more sensible and pragmatic approach would be to develop MRIA into a tourist hub catering for tourists visiting the Southern and Eastern Provinces. The WildLife Park Yala is known to have the highest density of leopards in the world. Arugam Bay is known to be one of the finest coasts for surfing. Elephant herds seen at Minneriya cannot be matched anywhere else in Asia and beaches on the Southern and Eastern Coasts are unique providing serenity and tranquility to tourists. Bird sanctuaries in the East and South coasts are known the world over. With so many attractions, it is not too difficult to attract tourists to this part of the country. Even now, Yala attracts the second highest number for tourists (311,400) after Sigiriya (595,000) in 2018 (Annual Statistical Report 2018, SLTDA).

In addition, there are several national parks (NP) such as Uda Walawe NP, Lunugamvehera NP, Gal Oya NP, Maduru Oya NP and Wasgamuwa NP which are attractive tourist destinations, in close proximity to Mattala. An effort should be made to bring tourists, interested in visiting these sites, direct to MRIA. With the development of Trincomalee and the Eastern Coast as tourist areas, these too could be included with accessibility, if necessary, via helicopters. Archeological sites unique to Sri Lanka at Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya could also be added for visiting, via helicopters, from MRIA. All these sites could be incorporated into different packages. The potential is vast for the development of tourism in the forestry sector covering national parks, bird sanctuaries, ancient cultural sites and so on, according to former Conservator General V R Nanayakkara (The Island of 17.03.2020).

Developing a tourism plan utilizing Mattala

A short-term tourism development plan needs to be formulated as a joint exercise among all stake holders, including the Ministry of Tourism, Provincial Tourism Authorities, Sri Lanka Tourist Development Authority (SLTDA), Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), Sri Lanka institute for Tourism and Hotel Management (SLTHM), Civil Aviation Department, Hospitality Sector Associations and Private Tourism Promotion Organizations.

It is essential to first develop infrastructure facilities both in and around MRIA as well as at the intended tourist destinations. Secondly, transport facilities, including helicopters, to visit distant destinations need to be easily available at international rates. Thirdly, the services offered by hotels and tour operators should be of the highest order. Finally, a well-planned promotion scheme should be launched internationally in a transparent manner, possibly in collaboration with an international tour operator.

If the demand for these tourist destinations is established through such an advertisement campaign, international airlines will automatically select MRIA as the preferred destination to fly to Sri Lanka with or without concessions. But it requires hard and honest work by everybody concerned. Government intervention is necessary, initially, to provide fiscal concessions not only to airlines operating through MRIA but also to international tour operating agencies bringing tourists via MRIA.

Sri Lanka Tourism Strategic Plan 2017-20

In the meantime, as part of the Government’s Economic Vision for 2025, announced in 2017, the Tourism Vision (TV) 2025 was developed in 2016 which is a strategic positioning of Sri Lanka in the international tourism market, which sets the foundations from which the sector can build. (visit the site https://www.srilankatourismalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Sri-Lanka-Tourism-Vision-2025.pdf). The TV 2025 designated five tourism regions for planning purposes: Colombo and Western Megapolis Zone, Cultural Heartland and East Coast Zone, North and North Western Zone, Southern Coastal Zone, and the Hill Country Zone.

In order to realize the targets set forth in TV 2025, the Ministry of Tourism has also developed a "Sri Lanka Tourism Strategic Plan (SLTSP) 2017-2020. This Plan has addressed several issues pertaining to development of tourism, including Improving governance and regulation; Marketing; Developing sustainable destinations; Lifting standards and Engaging local communities among others. Visit the site: http://www.sltda.lk/sites/default/files/tourism-strategic-plan-2017-to-2020.pdf. This strategic plan has been prepared as an instrument of transformation, as a start on the journey toward TV 2025.

In the SLTSP, however, only passing reference has been made for utilizing the presence of MRIA for developing tourism in the area. It only says that "Mattala International Airport is a significant infrastructure investment that is underused. Despite its many shortcomings, it offers opportunity for tourism as a future hub convenient to a number of marine and land-based wildlife hotspots and the highland tea areas".

Hence, it is important that a new strategy has to be worked out when preparing the SLTSP 2021-2025, incorporating measures to be included to make the MRIA a tourist hub for the South and East as outlined previously. If the proposed strategy could be implemented, it will enhance the revenue from MRIA substantially.

Case of Arusha, Safari hub in East Africa

In this respect, it is pertinent to mention the case of Arusha, a hub for Safari tours in East Africa. Arusha is a small town in Northern Tanzania bordering Kenya. With an elevation of about 1,400 m, it has a pleasant climate and is the venue for an International Conference Hall. Several decades ago, the writer had the opportunity to visit Arusha to attend an international conference held there and visited a few game parks around. Arusha is a gateway to safari destinations and to Africa's highest peak, 5,895 m Mt. Kilimanjaro, lying some 100 km northeast. To the west lies the famous Serengeti National Park, home to wildlife, including lions, rhinoceros, giraffes and leopards, and several other games parks.

What is noteworthy about Arusha is that it attracts many international airlines coming directly from the USA and European countries, including France, Germany and Scandinavian countries, bringing plane loads of tourists for heading straight to game parks, bypassing the capital city. Sri Lanka has two dedicated bodies for the development of tourism in the country – SL Tourism Development Corporation and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. It is their duty and the responsibility to update the SLTSP covering the period 2100 -2025, incorporating measures to convert Mattala into another Arusha bringing plane loads of tourists heading for such places as Yala, Arugam Bay, Horton Plains, East Coast and the Cultural Triangle.

For such a system to work in Sri Lanka, it is essential to have a governing system in the country where competent professionals, having the necessary background, are appointed to management positions in various semi-government institutions, solely on their merit. Another important pre-requisite for increasing the inflow of tourists is to ensure that law and order prevail in the country. The present situation in this regard is nothing but pathetic. The tourists should be made to feel that they are safe and secure here without exposure to unruly elements, including drug addicts, pimps, rude taximen, dishonest hotel staff and corrupt law enforcing officers.

MRIA as a transit centre between Africa and Far East

Another option available for the development of MRIA is to attract tourists travelling between Africa and SE-Asia and the Far East, to transit, via Mattala. For this purpose, a direct flight between Nairobi and MRIA needs to be commenced. Nairobi is the aviation hub in Africa, with convenient connections to all major cities in Africa. But Colombo has no direct flights to Nairobi and a traveller has to fly, via ME. These two cities are both close to the equator and hence their distance apart is the shortest, compared to travelling via ME.

Nairobi is the home for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) where regular meetings are held year-round bringing large number of delegates from Asia. Also, many affluent Africans fly to SE- and Far East on shopping sprees. Both these groups of travellers could be attracted via MRIA by having direct flights to Nairobi and convenient connections to Far East cities. They could also be offered stop-overs with tour packages to visit places of interest in the region.

Incidentally, the Cabinet has already granted approval, at its meeting held on 19.07.2019, to commence a bilateral air service between Sri Lanka and Tanzania. It is not known what the rationale for selecting Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam (?) airport for launching this service. It could be that landing rates in Dar es Salaam are lower than in Nairobi. But increased traffic from Nairobi would compensate for that. However, commonsense dictates that Kenya’s Nairobi is a better airport with connections to all major cities in Africa and truly an aviation hub, to launch an air service between Sri Lanka and Africa. The new government may therefore wish to review this decision to shift the destination from Tanzania to Nairobi.

Tourism Strategic Plan (SLTSP) 2021-2025

The writer believes the authorities responsible for developing the SLTSP 2021-25 will give serious consideration for the proposals made above and develop Mattala both as a tourist hub for the Eastern and Southern Provinces as outlined above and as a transit centre for travellers between Africa and Asia. It will not only bring added revenue to MRIA, but will also assist in uplifting the economy of the region.

Source: www.island.lk (01 April 2020)