Anyone visiting Thailand recently will have noticed that Russian has become a standard language to be displayed on menu's, brochures and other tourist collateral. Whilst in East Asia, we have become focused upon the evolution of outbound Chinese tourism, it is clearly an error to omit the importance of the Russian Rouble.
This means that the recent announcement that Aeroflot was going to begin flights from Moscow to Colombo and then that Sri Lankan Airlines were also going to operate on that route, can mark another important step in the evolution of Sri Lankan tourism. With the opening of the second international airport next year and the announcement of a second runway in Colombo, it appears that international connectivity is well on track to provide the necessary access to the country. Now the focus has to be on the domestic infrastructure. This means roads, hotels and other attractions.
The opening of the Southern Highway will be an important step for the country. Reducing travel time to Galle from Colombo to 1 hour will bring the country closer together and dramatically increase the attractiveness of Sri Lanka as a tourist destination. Indications are that following a slow start, its construction is proceeding well.
The focus now needs to be on the private sector and its ability to establish hotels, restaurants and other tourist sites that will capitalise on Sri Lanka's natural potential. Those of us that are involved in this mission know that life could be made easier by changes in laws, rules and regulations. However, I tend to believe that such impediments are not a bad way to sort out the serious folks from the pretenders. However, for those of us with drive and commitment, access to capital will be critical. It will be interesting to see whether Russian capital will follow Aeroflot?
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