Integrating Business Skills into Ecotourism Operations...Tourist Arrivals – 2009 to 2013 Total 2009 447,890 Total 2010 654,476 46% Total 2011 855,975 30% Total 2012 1,003,300 17%

Integrating Business Skills into

Ecotourism Operations IUCN/KUONI Training Workshop

Srilal Miththapala BSc(Eng); CEng; FIEE; FIH;

Project Director, E U Switch Asia Programme Greening Sri Lanka Hotels Project, Past President of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka Board Member, National Hotel Classification Committee .

Board Member, Consumer Consultative Committee, Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka

14 - 18 October 2013 Negombo, Sri Lanka

‘What makes a good Ecotourism

Product?’

Auyobowan !

May all beings have long life © Srilal Miththapala

Contents • Tourism products/locations

• Market Analysis

• The Product offering

• Understanding & mitigating impacts on local

communities

© Srilal Miththapala

Conservation Bio-diversity;

Natural Resources

Tourism Business Profitability

Local Involvement Poverty Alleviation;

Empowerment

Sustainable Tourism - A Balancing Act

ffcj úúO;ajh" iajNdúl iïm;a ixrlaIKh

ixpdrl jHdmdrfha ,dN ,eîï

m%cd iyNd.S;ajh" ÿmam;alu wvqlsÍu" n,.ekaùu © Srilal Miththapala

Ecotourism

‚Responsible travel to natural

areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being

of local people."

The International Ecotourism

Society (TIES) in 1990


Pic : WEB

Conventional

Tourism

Sustainable

Tourism

Ecotourism

Adventure Tourism

Nature Tourism

Relationships among Tourism categories


Demand & Supply


Evaluate…

• Market

• Product & Service Offering

• Impact

• Sustainability


The Market- Customers

• Information savvy

• More demanding

• Wide and complex range of demands

• Seeking more personalized experience

• Higher expectations levels

The Emerging new Hospitality Customers

Hotels 2020: Beyond Segmentation • Move away from segmentation and towards a ‘total service’ model • Delivering a personalized experience through a wide spectrum of

service choice • Immersive, tactile and multi-dimensional technology interfaces • Deep understanding of a more geographically, financially,

generationally and attitudinally diverse and rapidly evolving customer base Ref: Hotels 2020: Beyond Segmentation: Research by Fast Future Research for Amadeus

10 © Srilal Miththapala

Who are eco-tourists? • Young and middle aged

• Educated professionals

• Moderate to high income

• More Free Independent travellers ( FIT)

• Research destination and book independently

• Mainly from Europe, Canada, Australia, America,

New Zealand

Ref: Ecolodges, Exploring opportunities for sustainable business, IFC


The size of the eco tourism market?

• Difficult to identify

• Difficult to quantify

• Small component of world tourism market

• But certainty rapidly growing ( >20%)

Conventional

Eco


What do eco-tourists look for?

• Chose destination first, based on activities or

attractions, then accommodation

• Natural environment

• Experiential and learning

• Scenery, nature and wild life,

• Hiking, Biking

• Visiting parks

Ref: Ecolodges, Exploring opportunities for sustainable business, IFC © Srilal Miththapala

What do eco-tourists look for? Wild Life -a primary Attraction

• Charismatic wild life species ( large mega-

fauna)

• Rainforests and bird watching

• Primates

Ref: Ecolodges, Exploring opportunities for sustainable business, IFC

High quality guiding and accurate interpretation services can distinguish an eco lodge in the market place


Tourist Arrivals – 2009 to 2013 Total 2009 447,890

Total 2010 654,476 46%

Total 2011 855,975 30%

Total 2012 1,003,300 17% Total 2013 711,449 26.1% YOY (August 2013)

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

No o

f Tou

rists

2012

2011

2010

2009

Based on SLTDA Statistics- Srilal Miththapala

2013

Sri Lanka ? Emerging profile of travellers

• Experience (w;aoelSï)

• Individualistic (;ksfhka yeisÍug leu;s)

• Explore (.fõYkh)

• Authenticity (wjHdc)

• Nature (fidndoyu)

• Community and Culture (m%cdj" ixialD;sh)


Sri Lanka as a Eco tourist destination ?


• A 2500 year old history.

• Virgin forests, royal and sacred cities.

• Cliff top citadels, colonial strongholds and temple caves.

• 8 World Heritage Sites declared and listed by

UNESCO. • One of Asia's richest treasure troves of both natural

and man-made wonders.


Sri Lanka-destination attributes

The world largest mammals…

THE ELEPHANT and

THE WHALE and

LEOPARD and

SLOTH BEAR

Sri Lanka’s BIG 4? © Srilal Miththapala


Hence certainly no shortage of physical attributes as a eco-nature destination…

Possibly one of the most unique places on earth.

Sri Lanka – a eco tourism destination

Prof. Philip Kotler

“There are many countries in the world striving

to obtain the green label. It is Sri Lanka that

truly deserves to be called a green destination

and to my mind, it is one of the best locations

in the world for eco-tourism”. © Srilal Miththapala

….. ‘Asia’s Most Authentic, Diverse and Compact Island’

22

Sri Lanka… positioning


……… ‘wdishdfõ fydou wjHdc" úúO;ajfhka hq;a ixhqla; Èjhsk’

Wild life sub-branding

• “ Sri Lanka the ultimate island safari”

• “Sri Lanka the best for big game outside Africa”

• “Sri Lanka’s Big four- The elephant, whale,

leopard and sloth bear

• The Sri Lankan elephant as an icon for tourism


So promoting the country as a eco- destination is vital….

……And every one has a role to play


What do eco-tourists look for? Accommodation

• Small scale

• Personalized

• Value for money

• Local and traditional

• Authenticity

• Comfort

• Access to primary attractions

• Quality of interpretation services

Budget $ 60 per day Mid Range $ 60-150 per day Luxury > $ 150 per day

Ref: Ecolodges, Exploring opportunities for sustainable business, IFC © Srilal Miththapala

The Market- Competition

Competition • Who are the other players?

• What products and services do they offer?

• Are they complementary ?

• How different?

• Will it help increase awareness of the area/attraction?


Competition… • Not all competition is a threat

• Clustering and combining helps promote the

destination

• Differentiated service providers and specialists are

sometimes good

• Helps you to raise the bar


Examples…Ella Mix of accommodation providers

High End

Low End

Examples…Ella peripheral service providers


Product & Service offering

USP ? What is distinctive?

What is different to others?

What is special?

What is the novelty?

What Product & Service offering?


Unique Selling Proposition for a Eco-offering

• Location

• Product design and layout

• Unique attractions

• Service- interpretation


Site

•Location !

•Location!

•Location !

Ellsworth Statler, (father of the modern hotel industry) 1820 circa…..


USP – a unique location Rainforest Eco lodge site at Ensellawtte, Deniyaya


USP – a unique location Hotel Sigiriya


37

USP – or create a unique location

Vil Uyana , Sigiriya


Get your location right …and three quarters of the

battle is won


Unique Selling Proposition

• Location





Product design and layout

ie,eiau iy ks¾udKh

41

USP – A Unique product Mahoora Luxury tented accommodation

www.mahoora.lk


Kumbuk River Eco Lodge Buttala,

http://www.kumbukriver.com

© Srilal Miththapala Pic: web

USP – A Unique Product Saraii Village – Weerawila

www.saraiivillage.com


Pic: web

Rain Forest Eco Lodge Deniyaya, Sinharaja

http://www.rainforest-ecolodge.org/



• Location





Leopard haven…. "If God Created a patch of land for

Leopards on Earth, then it must be Yala“

Angie Scott , Award winning photographer of Big Cat Diary,

at a presentation at Cinnamon Lake,

at the end of their visit to Sri Lanka

9th July 2011


Unique Attractions • Highest single concentration of Asian leopards in

the Yala region.

© Srilal Miththapala Yala= Leopard Chitral Jayatilake

48

USP – unique safaris


Pic: web

Unique Attractions • Unique mixed species, bird feeding flocks in the

Sinharaja rainforest.


Birds= Sinharaja

Unique Attractions • The endemic Blue Magpie found in the Sinharaja

Rainforest.


Blue Magpie=Sinharaja

Unique Attractions Largest single periodic grouping of wild Asian elephants at any

given time at Minneriya National Park Now known worldwide as

“The Gathering”- Lonely Planet –Worlds 6th Wild life wonder.


Gathering /elephants = Minneriya


• Location





Wild life safaris


USP -Service- interpretation

55

USP Service- interpretation


Pic: web

High quality guiding and accurate interpretation services can

distinguish an eco lodge in the market place


Designing your product /

service offering • Understand the market

• What are the customer needs and wants?

• What are the destination attributes?

• What have you to offer?

• What are your unique features?

• How different are they from the competition?


Basic Value Proposition • Customization

• Focus

• Environment

• Authenticity

• Health and Safety

• Cleanliness


What impact on environment and community?

• What local involvement?

• What benefits? Skills, financial, livelihoods

• What level of participation?

• What damage?


What impact on Environment and Community?

Involving villagers in tourism by Hotel Sigiriya at Diayakepilla Village


What impact on Environment and

Community? Crèche at Rainforest Eco Lodge- improving living conditions


What impact on environment

and community?

Local Guides- job opportunities



Jet Wing re forestation programme

Trees for life

What negative impacts?


The commercialization and demise of the Wanniya-laetto


Current Chief Urupna Warige Wanniya

Former Vedda Chief Urupana WarigeTissahamy

The Veddas – Sri Lanka's indigenous inhabitants, the 'forest-

dwellers'


The over visitation at Yala National Park


What impact on Environment

and Community?

Boats getting too close and disturbing whales



Damage to pristine coral reef at Hikkaduwa marine sanctuary due to overexploitation by glass bottom boat services


Pic: web

Eco Tourism is not so simple

Once you embark on this journey…

• You have to always ‘walk the talk’

• No shortcuts

• No ‘green washing


Sustainability of the Business

Sustainability

• Environmental

• Ethical (Social)

• Economic

• Planet

• People

• Profit

Environment

• What long term effects ?

• Adequate resources?

• What enhancements ?

Social

• How will it affect the community in the long

term

• Effect on local practices

• Effect on culture and traditions

• What support and integration?

Economic

• Funding

• Competition

• Changing trends

• Tired out / dated product

75

Product Life cycle


“The greatness of a nation, and it’s moral progress can be judged by the way it’s animals and environment are treated” --

Mahatma Gandhi © Srilal Miththapala


… and leave only footprints

Tread lightly,

take only photographs,

kill only time…

Thank you

[email protected]

www.srilankaelephant.com

www.facebook.com/SriLankaElephant


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.srilankaelephant.com/

http://www.facebook.com/SriLankaElephant

Integrating Business Skills into Ecotourism Operations...Tourist Arrivals – 2009 to 2013 Total 2009 447,890 Total 2010 654,476 46% Total 2011 855,975 30% Total 2012 1,003,300 17%

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