Room for medical tourism in South Korea to grow

December 18, 2014

SOUTH Korea’s medical tourism market is projected to play an increasingly important role in Asia over the next few years, but the country needs to maximise its strengths amid growing regional competition, according to findings from the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

South Korea, however, has yet to fully benefit from the Asian medical tourism market, wrote Samuel Seongseop Kim and Jinsoo Lee, who shared a SWOT analysis from interviews of 15 primary stakeholders in South Korea’s medical tourism industry in a research paper.

In 2010, six million tourists from the US alone travelled abroad to receive medical care, and this number is expected to increase to 23 million by 2017. Approximately 45 per cent of medical tourists from the US travel to Asia, attracted by the relatively low cost of medical care. Asian medical tourists are also a huge potential market, as 93 per cent of all medical tourists originating in Asia remain in Asia.

South Korea received 81,789 foreign medical tourists in 2010 for an annual growth rate of 36 per cent, but their spending on medical care amounted to only US$100 million, compared with the US$1.4 billion that foreign patients spent in Singapore during the previous year.

Thailand and India have also been highly popular with medical tourists from both the US and Asia due to low costs and high medical standards.

The researchers stated that South Korea’s strengths lie in having high-quality medical staff and offering advanced medical services, and patients seek treatment in hospitals that specialise in particular treatments such as ophthalmology and plastic surgery. Furthermore, the government shows strong support for the field, with the aim of making the country a major medical tourism destination.

A lack of promotion in the industry is cited as one of the biggest weaknesses of South Korea. Publicising the outcomes of empirical medical research, the researchers argue, would lead to better evaluations of South Korea’s medical institutions. Government agencies and institutions are not centralised, and such disjointedness reduces the effectiveness of cooperative marketing ventures.

The researchers hence suggest that more patient-oriented services and cutting-edge IT offerings could be introduced, providing a one-stop service to differentiate the country from its competitors such as India, Singapore and Thailand.

Other areas for improvement include the need for medical professionals who are multilingual, understand other cultural backgrounds, and are competent in both medicine and tourism. Further limitations are caused by the lack of supporting legal systems for medical visa issuance, medical disputes, insurance or indemnification, with low levels of legal liability not conducive to attracting medical tourists in comparison to Thailand and India.

The cost of medical treatment in South Korea is internationally competitive but still above what tourists could expect in destinations such as Thailand and India, mainly due to higher labour costs. The Korean government, they suggest, should monitor the price of medical services to address this threat and maintain a transparent pricing system.

Meanwhile, Taiwan has emerged as a new competitor, attracting Chinese patients from the mainland and overseas, while the number of visitors from the Middle East is expected to decrease as the quality of medical services in countries such as the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia improve. The researchers also mention that the anti-Korean cultural movement among Japanese far-right groups has discouraged Japanese from visiting South Korea for medical treatment, and that the critical press in China may put off visitors from the mainland.

Beach destinations most searched by Singapore travellers: Yahoo

By TTG Asia

December 18, 2014

BEACH getaways dominated a significant chunk of destination searches in Yahoo Singapore’s 2014 Year in Review.

The city’s tropical climate notwithstanding, Singaporeans still love the sun, sand and sea, with the regional beach destinations of Maldives, Boracay and Langkawi topping the list of most searched destinations in 2014.

The other most searched destinations are Genting Highlands, Krabi, Bali, Santorini, Phuket, Bandung and Penang respectively.

Meanwhile, a travel-related incident – the disappearance of MH370 – topped searches on Yahoo Singapore this year. The ill-fated flight which went missing en-route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March puzzled aviation experts and consumed users not just in the country, but across the globe.

In TTG Asia’s December 12, 2014 issue, we also rounded up the most sought-after destinations according to searches on TripAdvisor, Wego, Expedia and Google. Click hereto read more.

IHG firms up boutique muscle through Kimpton Hotels buyout

By TTG Asia

December 18, 2014

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group (IHG) has announced its US$430 million acquisition of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Group, the largest independent boutique hotel and restaurant business in the US, with intentions of bringing the brand to Europe and Asia.

Established in 1981, Kimpton manages 62 hotels and 11,300 rooms across 28 cities in the US, with a further 16 hotels in the pipeline. It also operates 71 hotel-based destination restaurants, bars and lounges across the US.

Adding Kimpton to IHG’s portfolio of preferred brands is highly complementary with its Hotel Indigo and Even Hotels brands, and will establish the company as a clear market leader in the boutique segment, with over 200 open and pipeline hotels across 19 countries, the press release stated.

The boutique hotel segment has been the fastest growing in the hospitality industry over the last four years, with demand, supply and RevPAR growth for boutique hotels in the US each significantly outperforming the overall industry.

IHG has identified significant opportunities to accelerate the growth of the Kimpton brand within the US and to launch it globally, particularly in Europe and Asia where there are strong demand for boutique brands.

Richard Solomons, CEO of IHG, commented: “The acquisition is another step in IHG’s well-established asset-light strategy of investing in high-quality growth, building on a strong track record of developing iconic global brands.”

The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter of 2015.

SpiceJet rescue may only provide temporary relief to India’s aviation woes

By Rohit Kaul

December 18, 2014

N a bid to prevent the exit of another domestic airline after the closure of Kingfisher Airlines, the Indian civil aviation ministry has requested banks and other financial institutions to lend US$94 million to SpiceJet, which is currently facing a severe financial crunch.

The ministry has asked regulatory body Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to allow SpiceJet to sell advance tickets until March 31, 2015. State-owned oil companies have also been asked to give a 15-day credit limit to the cash-stripped carrier.

Earlier this month, the DGCA had banned the airline from taking advance flight bookings beyond one month as cancellation of flights and non-payment of staff dues marred its operations.

“Indian banks may be requested to give some working capital loan based on the personal guarantee of the SpiceJet’s chairman,” the ministry said in a press statement earlier this week.

SpiceJet’s net debt stood at around US$230 million at end September. The airline has drastically cancelled its flights in December and many pilots have quit the airline due to unpaid wages

According to a civil aviation ministry official who declined to be named, the Indian government is keen to impose a uniform taxation rate of four per cent on aviation turbine fuel (ATF), which currently varies from state to state from four per cent to 32 per cent.

Taxes on ATF in India are one of the steepest in the world, a major reason for the mounting losses of domestic airlines in India.

“Rationalisation of ATF taxes is the immediate need for helping out the domestic airlines to come out from the red,” said Rajji Rai, chairman, Uniglobe Swiftravel.

“The closure of SpiceJet will result in shooting up of fares on the domestic sector, which will affect travel plans of tourists in the current peak travel season,” said Ranjan Kumar Mishra, managing director, Eastern Voyage.

Indian OTA Makemytrip.com has revealed that spot fares for the country’s top three routes – Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Bangalore and Mumbai-Bengaluru – have gone up significantly. The average spot fare on Delhi-Bengaluru sector in December is around US$277, a year-on-year increase of 57 per cent.

Tech-savvy Hotel Sáv plugs into HK’s hospitality scene

By TTG Asia

December 18, 2014

HOTEL Sáv, the flagship property of Sáv Hospitality, is set to open its doors in 1Q2015 in the heart of Hung Hom, Kowloon, introducing unique hospitality elements such as a colour therapy design concept, complimentary handy smartphones and a mobile key check-inservice.

Ranging from 20 m² to 56m², all the 388 contemporary rooms and suites are designed according to the Colour Journey concept, using seven colours – orange, red, yellow, pink, green, purple and blue – to leverage the benefits of colour therapy to improve the state of mind of guests. All rooms feature an interactive LED TV, mini bar and free Wi-Fi, while some units are furnished with a private balcony, offering views of either the city or Victoria Harbour.

The introduction of seamless check-in service enables guests to bypass the check-in procedure at front desk to get access to guestrooms by using their phones; alternatively, guests can also choose to use a standard key card.

In addition, the hotel also provides a complimentary handy smartphone to its guests during their stay, allowing guests to make unlimited local and international calls to selected countries or areas, enjoy unlimited 3G Internet access, interactive maps, a city guide of Hong Kong and more.

Dining outlets include Palette, an all-day dining restaurant providing wide-ranging buffet with elements of molecular dining experience; Amplitude, a bar featuring an extensive selection of beverages in a stylish, vibrant atmosphere; The Sonic Garden, an outdoor terrace equipped with a top-notch stereo sound system from Italy; and Pop Up At Sav, a lifestyle café offering coffee, Sáv branded products, and artistic and cultural events of various kinds.

Edwin Chuang, CEO & founder of Sáv Hospitality, said: “We are committed to establishing our brand as the new benchmark of chic accommodation experience in hospitality industry…Our mission is to become a leading lifestyle hotel, driven by values of care, creativity, commitment, courage and intuition.”

Malindo adds Kathmandu to network

By TTG Asia

December 18, 2014

MALINDO Air is commencing daily direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kathmandu from February 6 next year.

Flights will depart Kuala Lumpur at 19.05 and touch down at Tribhuvan International Airport at 21.30 local time. Return flights leave Kathmandu at 22.20 and arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 05.15 the next day.

Boeing 737NG aircraft will be deployed on this service.

Malindo Air CEO, Chandran Rama Muthy, said in a statement that response to the carrier’s new service to Singapore and Bangkok has been strong, and a new Bandung service will begin on December 19.

He commented: “With route expansion into Kathmandu, we are optimistic of capturing a bigger market to further enhance our network and brand. This is indeed very encouraging development for Malindo Air.

“We have ambitious plans for 2015 where we will look at aggressively expanding our brand presence in the region. We will also be introducing strategies to increase ancillary income as well throughout 2015.”

“With oil prices lowering we’re forecasting a booming year for the aviation sector,” he predicted.

Ticket sales on the Kuala Lumpur-Kathmandu route are now open for booking. One-way economy class fares start from RM399 (US$114) and RM649 for business class, for a limited time.

Besides aggressively expanding into new destinations, Malindo last month launched a travel portal offering travel deals to more than 30 destinations.

InterContinental HK announces new DOSM

By TTG Asia

December 17, 2014

INTERCONTINENTAL Hong Kong has announced the appointment of Linda Hodgson as director of sales and marketing.

Hodgson was previously director of sales and marketing at InterContinental Times Square and has been with InterContinental Hotels Group for close to 10 years.

She brings to her new position over 20 years of experience, including postings at other luxury hotel chains including Langham Hotels International and Marriott International.

Tash Tobias returns to InterContinental Singapore

By TTG Asia

December 17, 2014

INTERCONTINENTAL Singapore has announced that Tash Tobias would be returning to the hotel as its general manager plus taking on an expanded role as regional general manager for Singapore, Malaysia and Batam.

Tobias will be responsible for driving strategic growth and operational excellence for 10 hotels across four brands.

Bringing with her over 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Tobias was previously the area general manager of Bangkok and general manager of Crowne Plaza Lumpini Park.

Tobias’s previous stint as general manager at InterContinental Singapore saw her leading the hotel through a refurbishment of its signature Shophouse rooms and suites as well as Man Fu Yuan Restaurant between January 2011 and July 2013.

Kerry Healy to lead sales for Accor in APAC

By TTG Asia

December 17, 2014

ACCOR has appointed Kerry Healy as vice president sales for the Asia-Pacific region.

In her new role, Healy continues to be based in Singapore and will spearhead strategic sales activities for the Asia-Pacific region. She will work closely with the sales offices across the region to support, define and develop client strategy.

Prior to this role, Kerry was director of sales Asia-Pacific for leisure, meetings and events in Accor’s Singapore office.

NTOs reflect on the past year and look ahead

By TTG Asia

December 17, 2014

What troubled tourism bureaus this year and what developments are poised to make waves in 2015?

From left: Thailand plays up its cultural strengths; Malaysia Year of Festivals will kick off in 2015; Diving into waters teeming with coral reefs are some of the fun activities available in the Philippines; The Restaurant Australia campaign emphasises the abundance of fresh produce Down Under; Singapore, with its ever-changing skyline, is now leveraging arts to attract visitors

SINGAPORE
Lionel Yeo, chief executive, Singapore Tourism Board
Biggest challenge in 2014 Singapore’s tourism sector has had to adapt to a changing profile of visitors, as more FITs and tourists are coming to Singapore on mono-destination trips. This shift has been particularly evident in our 2014 arrivals from China.

For example, the number of Chinese visitors staying at least two days from January to August 2014 jumped 21 per cent year-on-year to 631,000. The average length of stay of Chinese visitors during the same period has also risen year-on-year from 2.9 to 4.4 days.

Significant developments in 2015 Next year, we look forward to the opening of the National Gallery Singapore, Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris and Southeast Asian Games, while Royal Caribbean International will offer year-round sailings from Singapore for the first time. These add to our tourism offerings and establish Singapore as the region’s leading arts, cruise and sports destination. We will also continue to strengthen our lead as a MICE city through the MICE2020 Roadmap.

As Singapore turns 50, we also celebrate our burgeoning creative scene and invite people to look at the city from a different perspective with Singapore: Inside Out, a multi-disciplinary travelling showcase featuring local contemporary creative talents and their works.

By Paige Lee Pei Qi

MALAYSIA
Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, director-general, Tourism Malaysia
Biggest challenge in 2014 Regaining the confidence and trust from Chinese tourists. Since MH370 went missing in March, we have lost nearly one-third of the tourists from China who cancelled or suspended their holidays up to early 2015. We hope that 2015 will see a full recovery. Tourism Malaysia has since May 2014 embarked on an aggressive mission to recover Chinese arrivals, striking up marketing partnerships with airlines and working with outbound operators in China to arrange for charters.

Most significant development in 2015 In 2015, we will launch the Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015 campaign, a continuation of the Visit Malaysia Year 2014. Themed Endless Celebrations, the year-long campaign offers many spectacular events related to cultural festivals, arts and music showcases, food promotions, shopping and sporting events. These events include Putrajaya Skyride Festival, International Festival of Shadow Plays, Truly Asian Street Food Festival and Kuala Lumpur Lake Gardens Festival.

By S Puvaneswary

THAILAND
Juthaporn Rerngronasa, deputy governor for international marketing (Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Americas), Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)
Biggest challenge in 2014 (Due to) the country’s political unrest, we were challenged to think creatively across the board to maintain visitor confidence and ensure Thailand’s brand image remains powerful and strong. Our visitor arrivals for 2014 are projected at 25.5 million, down 3.9 per cent from 2013, but we have kept our spirits up, worked closely with the private and public sectors, and made good use of social media to counter the negative images portrayed in the global media.

Significant developments in 2015 The advent of the Asean Economic Community and the new TAT marketing campaign, 2015 Discover Thainess, which will focus on the Thai way of life, culture and experiences as well as the 12 hidden gem cities. ASEAN integration will make us stronger as a region and build on the combined strengths of 10 countries, while the Discover Thainess campaign will help maintain Thailand’s individuality, character and identity by highlighting what makes us unique as a culture and society. We have also designed a calendar of monthly festivals and events through 2015.

By Greg Lowe

INDONESIA
Esthy Reko Astuti, director general of tourism marketing, Ministry of Tourism
Biggest challenge in 2014 While regional destinations’ awareness of the importance of tourism is getting better, their product development and marketing coordination with the central government are still lagging. The regency and municipal governments have the right to set priorities, however, there needs to be synergy between the central government and the regions to promote themselves (as part of Indonesia). Another challenge is for the destinations to enrich their potential products such as restoring heritage buildings, improving capacity of tour guides, etc.

Most significant development in 2015 The new stand-alone tourism ministry will offer a good chance to better develop destinations, products, people and infrastructure. In the last government we focused on 16 destinations and we are planning to add nine more destinations next year.

By Mimi Hudoyo

VIETNAM
Le Tuan Anh, director general, tourism marketing department, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
Biggest challenge in 2014 Vietnam has a lot of good tourism products but arrivals are still limited. Difficulties lie in our marketing activities, which are not strong enough globally. We are getting more support from the government in recent years, but it is still small compared with neighbouring countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Due to limited budgets, we are more focused on ASEAN, North Asia (China, Japan and South Korea) and traditional markets in Europe.

Most significant development in 2015 In 2015, we will launch the National Tourism Year with the theme of Connecting World Heritage in Vietnam in Thanh Hoa, a central province home to marine attractions, mountains and cultural attractions like the Ho Dynasty Citadel, which was recongised by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site.

At the same time, we will continue to leverage our successful Vietnam – Timeless Charm slogan, launched in 2012. We’re targeting more than eight million foreign arrivals in 2015.

By Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

PHILIPPINES
Art Boncato, Jr, assistant tourism secretary, Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT)
Biggest challenge in 2014 To accommodate the growing number of international and domestic tourists in the Philippines, there is a need to hasten infrastructure development that covers the construction, upgrade and expansion of airports, seaports and roads leading to destinations from north to the south. A successful initiative was the 30 billion pesos (US$668 million) Tourism Road Infrastructure Prioritization Project, which saw the development of roads and improved access to existing attractions.

Most significant development in 2015 It’s Visit the Philippines Year 2015, and the DoT has put together a programme to bring in first-time and repeat travellers to the country. Major events happening all over the country from January to December are clustered under lifestyle; music, arts and entertainment; history and culture; sports, adventure and eco-tourism; and business. These events fulfil the promise of fun in the Philippines.

By Rosa Ocampo

HONG KONG
Anthony Lau, executive director, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB)
Biggest challenge in 2014 The HKTB had to move the venue of the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival from the Central Harbourfront to the old Kai Tak runway in just a few weeks’ time, which involved re-planning and re-deploying resources in venue set-up, promotional strategies and logistics arrangements. It turned out to be a very successful event, with attendance reaching almost 180,000.

Most significant development in 2015 Given the low penetration rate of cruise travel in Asia and a fast-growing middle class, Asia’s cruise market is expected to expand at a fast pace. Hong Kong can definitely be one of the region’s hubs with our strategic location. To fully tap the cruise market potential, the HKTB will continue to seek cooperation with more destination ports in the region by encouraging them to participate in the Asia Cruise Fund, launched earlier this year with Hong Kong and Taiwan as the two founding members.
– Prudence Lui

MACAU
Maria Helena de Senna  Fernandes, director, Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO)
Biggest challenge in 2014 Organising the 8th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting (TMM8) was among Macau’s top responsibilities for 2014. The success of TMM8 was a great opportunity for Macau to showcase its tourism uniqueness and ability to organise high-profile events, and particularly special this year as Macau marks its 15th anniversary (of return to Chinese sovereignty).

Significant developments in 2015 MGTO will soon be launching an international tender for the drafting of a Macau Tourism Master Plan, which will involve not only industry stakeholders but also the whole community.

Upcoming developments are the second-phase opening of Galaxy, which includes JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels with more than 1,300 keys; the Studio City, which will have a five-star hotel, shopping mall and multi-purpose entertainment studio; and the 3,000-room Parisian Macao, with recreated Parisian shopping streets and a half-size replica of the Eiffel Tower.

By Prudence Lui

JAPAN
KIyonori Ogawa, director, marketing & promotion department, South-east Asia and India, Japan National Tourism Organization
Biggest challenge in 2014 Some trade members were concerned that the capacity of hotels or chartered buses during the peak spring season would not be able to accommodate the fast-growing inbound traffic from South-east Asia. However, we have taken steps to deal with this. Japan is now promoting airline network expansion between South-east Asia and Japan. A lot of new hotels, both deluxe and no-frills, are due to open soon.

Most significant development in 2015 We expect more South-east Asian visitors as a result of the expanded aviation network or new access points in 2015. This year, we have focused on Kyushu as a new destination for Thailand after Jetstar Asia’s launch of direct flights between Bangkok and Fukuoka. Singapore Airlines will operate seasonal flights between Singapore and Sapporo this winter and SilkAir will operate charter flights between Singapore and Okinawa.

By Hannah Koh

TAIWAN
Lin Kun-Yuan, director of international affairs division, Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB)
Biggest challenges in 2014 The number of visitors to Taiwan reached eight million in 2013 but neighbouring destinations had introduced many special offers including visa-free entry to attract more tourists. The TTB continues to strive for visa exemption for the new developing market of South-east Asia.

We continue to focus on developing and upgrading the quality of Taiwan’s tourism and products, and rate hotels and bed-and-breakfast inns under the hotel star-rating and hospitable B&B evaluation and selection system. We have expanded Taiwan tourism’s international outreach through our Time for Taiwan brand, actively publicising our unique festivals and activities (on the global stage).

Significant developments in 2015 We are targeting 10 million visitors. We will promote regional cruise development by working with the Hong Kong Tourism Commission on the Asia Cruise Fund. We will also promote ‘caring tourism’ and construct obstacle-free tourism for senior citizens. We will strengthen the quality of the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle and Taiwan Tour Bus services, expand the iTravel Internet services, and implement the Taiwan Tourism Code of Ethics.

By Prudence Lui

SOUTH KOREA
Helen Shim, director, Singapore office, Korea Tourism Organization (KTO)
Biggest challenges in 2014 The majority of MICE events used to take place in convention centres, but with bigger incentive groups coming from the region it has become a challenge as more organisers are now seeking unique venues for their events.

Meanwhile, KTO has been trying to encourage visitors to travel out of their comfort zones and experience unique offerings in other provinces besides Seoul. For example, in June we received a 15,000-pax incentive group from Amway China. The biggest challenge was to locate the most suitable port of call for the cruise ship. The group arrived at Kwangyang in Yeosu City, where we arranged a massive welcome ceremony at the port.

Most significant development in 2015 The 85-floor Lotte World Tower will be the tallest building in the nation when construction is completed in October 2016. There will be an observatory, an art gallery, a hotel, offices, a medical centre and other amenities. The (adjoining) 11-storey Lotte World Mall will house over 1,000 local and global stores, including Lotte Mart, Lotte Cinema, Lotte Duty Free, Hi Mart and Lotte World Aquarium.

By Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

CHINA
Li Shihong, department of tourism promotion and international liaison head, China National Tourism Administration
Biggest challenge in 2014 We will need to do more to improve our service standards in China to project an appealing image to tourists. We are already improving that, which is a good step forward.

Most significant development in 2015 With the development of the Internet, it has become increasingly important to take advantage of new technologies to achieve the ‘multiplication effect’ to promote our destination. Aside from promotion via traditional media platforms, we will make better use of the new media to boost our online promotion.

By Paige Lee Pei Qi

AUSTRALIA
John O’Sullivan, managing director, Tourism Australia
Biggest challenge in 2014 This year’s key challenge remains the same, i.e. to stand out and cut through a fiercely competitive tourism landscape. This has been a great year so far for Australia tourism, with record international arrivals and visitor spending, and the launch of a new global campaign, Restaurant Australia, emphasising our country’s world-class food, wine and culinary experiences.

Most significant development in 2015 We are tapping into the growing appetite amongst international travellers for great culinary tourism experiences. We want to raise the profile of our country’s high-quality food and wine offerings and encourage more international visitors to come and sample these for themselves.

By Paige Lee Pei Qi

INDIA
Mahesh Sharma, minister of state for tourism, culture and civil aviation
Biggest challenge in 2014 The most challenging issue was to shed the country’s ‘unsafe’ image for female travellers and to restore confidence among foreign tourists, following a series of reported sexual assaults involving foreign female travellers that dented the image of India as a safe destination.

We will soon offer tourists the option of travelling by chip-enabled taxis from the airports, which would allow vehicle tracking and bio-data of the drivers.

Most significant development in 2015 India is liberalising its stringent visa regime by implementing the Electronic Travel Authorisation in phases. The first phase, comprising 30 countries including the US, Brazil, Japan, South Korea and Argentina, will be implemented by end-2014, and 2015 will see more countries added to the list. The Indian government is looking to extend the facility to 180 countries in the next two years.

By Rohit Kaul

SRI LANKA
Vipula Wanigasekera, general manager, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau
Biggest challenge in 2014 We are concerned about the impact of mass tourism. Striking a balance between development and sustainable tourism, getting the required investment for the sector, and promoting the country among primary and secondary markets were the most challenging tasks.

Significant developments in 2015 The speedy construction and upcoming completion of new mega hotels like Shangri-La, Sheraton, Movenpick and Marriott is eagerly awaited by the authorities to prepare for the flow of 2.5 million tourist arrivals by 2016.

Sri Lanka will market the country aggressively to boost arrivals from China and other emerging markets. New expressways would also increase accessibility to more locations.

By Feizal Samath

This article was first published in TTG Asia, December 12, 2014 issue, on page 12. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe