"The Traveller" spoke to leading personalities in the industry in Sri Lanka on the future of the industry in the aftermath of the war.

Veteran hotelier Chandra Mohotti said with the war coming to an end we envisage a definite increase in arrivals of various people. In the immediate aftermath of the war ending there will be people such as those from organizations involved in rehabilitation work , aid agencies, government representatives from other countries who will visit here while tourism will experience a gradual increase.

But infrastructure need to be developed and the welfare of those arriving here have to be streamlined with standards and facilities of not only hotels but other services as well upgraded soon to meet the influx he said.

Mohotti, a man with many firsts in the hospitality industry in Sri Lanka with over 36 years experience, is the Vice President (Leisuire Division ) Galle Face Group of Hotels and also the General Manager, Galle Face Hotel.

He also overlooks the General Managers of Heritage Hotels, Queens and Suisse owned by Galle Face Group.

Veteran hotelier Amaranath Mahawaduge expressed confidence that tourism will bounce back in the country with the war coming to an end will have to be geared to cater to a surge in tourist arrivals in a post war period.

"Our product is very competitive and our service is of a high standard and quality he said.

Mahawaduge who has over 35 years in the industry said we will encounter a VietNam like situation in the post war period, with the Tamil diaspora in particular wanting to visit here and the their second generation who have never been here wanting to trace their roots.

How ever he said there have to be direct flights or convenient connections from diffefent parts of the world to Sri Lanka.

"The cost of flying to Sri Lanka is the highest in the region," he noted.

Mahawaduge is a senior Ceylon School Graduate and is the Director Marketing, Sales and Overall Operations of York Hotel Management Services.

Malin Hapugoda, Managing Director, Aitken Spence Hotel Managements and founder President, Ceylon Hotel Graduates Association predicted a definite surge in tourist arrivals with the war coming to an end. " Sri Lanka is becoming a safe destination in the eyes of foreign guests and there will be large numbers who would want to visit here," he said.

The numbers will be much more if not for the global economic turmoil but the country will do better by the year 2010 he noted.

Asked how the international tour operators would react to the abortive suicide attack by two LTTE aircraft last Friday, he said the world knows that the threat from the LTTE is now waning and they are no longer a potent force.

Asked if Aitken Spence would invest in hotel projects in the country at this juncture, he said "It is not feasible to invest right now in the face of the current global economic meltdown but we will watch the situation and wait for the opportune moment."

"The 30 year old war which created a negative impact on our tourism industry is now coming to an end and this will see a boom in the hospitality industry," said Roshan Perera, General Manager, Blue Water Hotel, Wadduwa.

"The industry is ready to meet the demand and we are looking forward to it he said.

Most of the Sri Lankan hotel staff who sought employment in other countries are now looking forward to return home as they know there will be a boom in the industry.

"Already they are receiving better remuneration here and once the industry picks up they will receive a much higher service charge than now ," he pointed out.

All those who longed to visit here but had to postpone their visits due to the situation in Sri Lanka will now come in droves, he said.

Wasantha Leelananda , Executive Vice President, Leisure (Inbound) , John Keells said that tour operators who pulled out from Sri Lanka 10 – 15 years ago are now making inquiries with plans to include Sri Lanka as a destination in their brochures and itineraries.

"We are ready to meet the demand that will be created." he assured.

"We are hopeful that the situation will gradually improve," said John Holden, Country Manager, Cathay Pacific Airlines.

"We will continue to promote Sri Lanka as a leisure and business destination through our extensive network," he stressed.