The role of Medium and Large Organisations in the South coast of Sri Lanka:
Integrators, innovators & ambassadors
The focus of our research in Sri Lanka was how the stakeholder group "Medium and Large Organisations" (MLO's) could contribute to the competitiveness of the Southern west coast of Sri Lanka. Therefore, we visited a lot of big hotels and resorts, but also other companies like Sail Lanka (the first sailing company), Cinnamon Airlines and investment companies like Opportunity Sri Lanka. At first, we didn't know what to expect and how many interviews we could actually get, but experience showed that all these large enterprises in Sri Lanka were very open and welcoming to have meetings with us and answer our questions. Many times we even got a welcome drink or even some gifts! Besides the nice presents, we also got a lot of helpful and interesting information through these meetings. All in all it was a very interesting research once again, with main findings showing that MLO's have a huge role in shaping the South coast of Sri Lanka. In total, actually three main roles were defined, namely: integrators, innovators and ambassadors. This means the following:
Integrators
Whether an organisation is an integrator or not lies in the extent in which a company, like for instance a hotel or resort, immerses itself with the natural and cultural environment of the destination. In the case of Sri Lanka it is highly recommended to build in a way that the look and feel of the area remains in tact. Therefore, instead of building concrete high rises the focus should be rather on villas or boutique hotels that are "integrated" into the natural and cultural environment. This will prevent the area from getting spoiled and will keep the "Sri Lankan atmosphere" alive. On the contrary, developments of large chain hotels such as the Marriott Hotel in Weligama risk to spoil the competitive position of the destination, as they are not well integrated in the natural and cultural context and do not necessarily attract the target segment that promises the highest expenditure per arrival.
Innovators
The innovator role has everything to do with the way MLO's make use of the available resources. This not only involved technological innovation by means of an application for room service or "tablet check-in", but also by means of personalised and customised service. An example was the 24/7 "life stylist" one hotel in Sri Lanka already implemented, which goes far beyond solely dealing with customers complaints. Last but not least, also making the right use of the resources is a way in which MLO's proved to make a difference. Sail Lanka for instance, was the first company who introduced sailing in Sri Lanka. Also Cinnamon Air showed a way in which they can improve tourist' experiences, as they provide AirTaxi services which takes tourists from place A to B without wasting valuable time while sitting in a van for eight hours. This is a valuable addition to tourism services in Sri Lanka, as it takes a long time to travel from one place to another.
Ambassadors
The last role in which MLO's can improve the competitive position of the South west coast of Sri Lanka is by being an ambassador. Large organisations can take a pro- active role in destination marketing, with the aim of promoting not just their business, but also the area they are based in. Several interview respondents have pointed out that tourism in Sri Lanka over the years has not been marketed properly and there lays room for improvement.
In the end it comes down to these three roles which MLO's can take to improve not only the competitiveness of their business, but also of the area they are based in. In the best case scenario all three roles are taken upon, but it can also be possible that only two or one role is followed. However, in this case the competitive position of that organisation in Sri Lanka is lower.
