‘Lankan hotel industry to provide over 150, 000 new jobs by 2020’

Sri Lankan hotel industry would provide over 150, 000 new employment opportunities by 2020

Sunil Dissanayake, Chairman Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management.

He said that these opportunities have been mostly created by openings coming up in new star class hotels that would be opening in the next two years including Shangri La, Hyatt and several other hotels.

The demand is huge and we need more international hotel schools to open in Sri Lanka and offer high quality education to youth. “The Board of Investment should play the lead role in this regard.”

He however was disappointed that the local hotel sector decision makers were not doing enough and were not keen to put the extra mile and woo hotel staff working overseas. “I am not referring to top level staff but the mid-level employees who are working overseas and almost drawing the same salary if they worked in Sri Lanka.”

Local hotels decision makers should conduct awareness programs especially in the gulf and updated the current positive statues of Sri Lankan hotel sector and the high paying jobs that are on offer.

“From the point of view of employees it’s practical for them to work overseas for about two years and come back to Sri Lanka since they could have a better life with their families.”

He also lashed out to some of the five star hotels for recruiting foreign staff to decision making level since Sri Lankans can fill that void ‘better’ “Also we see some star class hotels retiring local staff as soon as they reach 55 and then employ foreign staff without going for extension.”