Let us give something back to those who helped get us to No 1 destination in 2019 in the Lonely Planet rankings. What might that be?

This was when I went to Sigiriya with a person who has the funds to buy it up, but refused to go even to the gardens as there was no special disabled facilities 

Is there any doubt that it is the under 35 traveller, not tour groups, more like back packers and student and young people, whose ratings and comments and experiences got Sri Lanka up to No1 spot?

If you agree, then read carefully. I spent a whole week in Ella recently, meeting and speaking to the young tourists who make up the experience there. It is a word of mouth experience that people through social media have come to find out as a cool place to come and enjoy.

So I asked them, why Ella, and almost to a person THEY SAID, many of the popular destinations advertised by the press are very expensive and bad value for money. Either the National Parks that are touted, Yala, Minneriya and Uda Walawe are too crowded, or there are too many Safari Operators, acting like in a cartel, who charge too much, to say nothing of the charge to enter, just to be in a traffic jam while on safari.

The other point was that Sigiriya has been pointed out to be a big rip-off where it just costs too much for the experience. With locals paying nominal charges, and foreigners being fleeced, it is unpalatable for foreigners to mingle with locals who don’t even appreciate the beauty and grandeur of the place, but only go because they come with a crowd “to enjoy” not to appreciate.

It is ironic as the young people are the ones who study every minute detail on social media and travel sites before coming to a place, and they almost know what the reasonable and rip off rates are for everything, and congregate in places that give them the best value for money.

They are therefore the ones, who could enjoy the real experience of Sigiriya, the majesty and the romance of the place and the gardens, and the historic stories that abound about the place. BUT the high cost, the long lines and sweaty and overcrowded atmosphere is enough to put off the true believe who wants to experience beauty but cannot!

Even the lack of proper toilets and I don’t want different toilets for tourist from overseas and others for tourists from Sri Lanka, I want decent toilets for all. Why can’t the Government of Sri Lanka, through the CCF and the Tourism Ministry, make sure that there are enough toilet blocks for all, where you charge Rs50 if you want and they are spotless? Why or why? This is basic dignity, for people who travel a long way to arrive there to be treated like this. Obviously our tourism professionals don’t understand the needs of a tourists, right!

So what do I propose for 2019?

I propose that FOR ALL VISITORS, local or foreign, that a standard charge of Rs1,000 be made for a visit.

This can form part of the marketing campaign internationally, where we thank our visitors and as a form of thank you do this favor. At the same time, we must have a system of ticket issuing, which is computerized at the entrance that denotes when the tickets are issued, who they are? Meaning if they are local, foreign, adult, children, and even elderly, so we can data mine the type of visitor by day to Sigiriya in order to offer a better service, once we have the data by HOUR the type of visitor who comes, and we will also have peak hour information, holiday information. IT IS SIMPLE TO SET UP and the mind boggles why no one has done this to date.

If this is done the HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS of young people who could appreciate Sigiriya but don’t go there due to the high charges, and poor facilities will now go and perhaps recommend their friends to come and enjoy.

So this will stop or prevent Sri Lankans from enjoying their Country’s heritage.

WHAT BULL SHIT !

Sri Lankans only appreciate anything if they have to pay for it. The more they pay the more they appreciate. If they pay too little they take it for granted and don’t even bother to appreciate.

Most Sri Lankans who go to Sigiriya go there for a challenge to climb with friends. They make a noise, it is entertainment, and has nothing to do with the rich history of the place. Once the entrance is raised to Rs1,000, you will attract people who really appreciate this wonder, and respect and they will also appreciate the lower crowds arising to make the visit pleasant.

Don’t forget that a price point is used to regulate numbers. Yes you will have more foreigners and fewer locals. What is wrong with that? You will have people who appreciate Sigiriya and not those who come for a picnic.

Local people pay Rs4,000 for a trip to come to Sigiriya from other parts as part of a tour if they come by bus and much more if they use alternative transport. If they are willing to pay that for a weekend trip or tour, why should they pay just Rs50 to enter Sigiriya? This is the lowest cost of their expenses, they pay three times that just for their breakfast. What a farce?

How would you as a foreigner feel if you pay TEN TIMES for the same treatment?

Plea for common sense and decision making not worrying about what other people think, as Sri Lankans don’t think rationally as they are used to be given things free or subsidized and know that anything free or cheap is not worth it.

Stop worrying about the hue and cry from those who NEVER come to Sigiriya, complaining on PRINCIPLE that locals are short-changed over foreigners, little realizing that people from Sri Lanka travel, unlike before, and the circumstances and conditions are different, though the mindset of the NAYSAYERS have not changed in 100 years, and hence the lack of imagination and progress.

Subject to a concession for School Children on a set day of the week, we must have a standard charge for ALL, and Rs1,000 is reasonable, for adult or child, no matter. It is crazy carrying infants up with adults, what for? Do you think their life experience changes by going up with parents?

They can be accommodated down in a rest area that is congenial for people waiting for people who have climbed the Rock.

This will be a super means of attracting more tourism in 2019 as a ‘give away’ and not a ‘take from’, as is the theme at present. The whole Tourist Industry in Sri Lanka is on a TAKE mode, where they are constantly thinking of how much they can earn, instead of the more beneficial ‘How better to serve a guest’.

The So Sri Lanka slogan can be slightly altered to “SO SERVICE SUPER SIGIRIYA SRI LANKA”

Five S no less!

Come on you dimwitted fossils in Tourism, in the public sector and private sector, give something back. The informal sector has worked so hard to get this honor for Sri Lanka, which the established sector is riding on. It is time you made some concessions and this would be the decent and grateful means of doing so. It is the young we need to attract, who may like it so much they may visit again, and recommend Sri Lanka to their friends.

An international marketing campaign or destination marketing program is all about big advertisers making money, and little about target marketing of the segments of population we need to attract that can be done far better, far cheaper and far more effectively by social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. Think outside the box, get a grip of what the objective of this new idea is and run with it, without finding every reason why not! IF you must tell our locals, we are doing this to increase tourism and foreign exchange which will rub off on them too, and so bear the increased entry charge.