Tourism Mobile Service

Tourism Mobile Service was started in Kandy in Dec. 2005 and has been carried on

since, on a monthly basis in all tourist areas in the country except the North.

Concept

To create a new corporate culture of offering services to Tourist Establishments virtually at their door step.

Objective

1. To facilitate and expedite the process of Registration, Licencing of new establishments and renewal of licence, inspection of Tourist Establishments, providing guidance and advise on new investment by regular mobile services at different locations through out the year.
2. Monitoring of projects already approved by the Planning and Resort Management Division and inspection of sites proposed by1 the developers to ascertain suitability for implementation.
3. To create awareness amongst the general public and the school children about tourism industry and its contribution towards the National Economy.

In order to achieve the above objectives, a mobile tourism service was launched in. Kandy in December, 2005 and an annual programme has been in place since then, it will be carried through to end of December 2009 and repeated annually.

Last year the scope of this service was extended to woo informal sector touris establishments and service providers with a pilot project conducted in Ahangama,

Unawatuna, Habaraduwa, Talpe, Mirissa and Weligama. It is expected to continue with

this project through to year 2009 in order to create a comprehensive data base of

Informal Sector all over Sri Lanka and eventually to formulate a strategy to streamline their operations ( Schedule of Mobile Service for 2009 - Annex: 1)

Services provided at the Mobile

• Collection of information with regard to informal tourist service providers.
• Inspection of new tourist establishments for registration and licencing.
• Inspection of registered establishments for renewal of licnece.
• Issuing of Liquor and Foreign Currency recommendations.
• Facilitation of payment of Tourism Development Levy.
• Renewal of licences of Area / Site guides.
• Inspection of new tourism sites for project implementation.
• Creating awareness amongst public and school children of tourism industry.

Publicity

• Publicity for mobile service is given through print media and banners in specific ocations a week prior to the event.
• All licencees are being informed individually by letters with regard to the services provided.

Advantage to Tourist Establishments

• Minimize the cost of transport / inspection fees levied as the cost is worked out from the mobile location to the establishment and back .
• Save on time spent for traveling to Colombo and back and other relevant expenditure.