The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Institute of Hospitality- UL Sri Lanka Chapter was held at the Ramada Hotel Colombo recently. The AGM was honoured by the presence of British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. The brain drain in the hospitality industry was the main topic touched by Dr. Harsha Jayasinghe, [...]
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Jayasinghe and Dassanayake with British High Commissioner Andrew Patrick.
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Institute of Hospitality- UL Sri Lanka Chapter was held at the Ramada Hotel Colombo recently. The AGM was honoured by the presence of British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick.
The brain drain in the hospitality industry was the main topic touched by Dr. Harsha Jayasinghe, Immediate Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter in his speech at the AGM.
‘The brain drain in the hospitality industry is a major issue as many young people tend to enroll in short-term hospitality courses, work for a short period and then migrate overseas’ he said.
Ramesh Dassanayake with Past Presidets Harsha and Renuka Jayamanna
‘The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry’ he added.
Dr. Jayasinghe highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy, noting that it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country.
‘Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creation, and cultural exchange’ he said.
New President of IH Sri Lanka Chapter Ramesh Dassanayake said the industry has to do a brainstorming session and find out and iron out the reasons as to why the youth are not joining the industry at the rate they move into other sectors.
‘I believe the use of technology in hospitality education and training sessions on industry-specific software and platforms may influence the younger generation to enter and remain in this sector’ he said.
Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector.
‘Tourists pay their hard-earned money for hotels, and standards must be maintained to make tourists happy. Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development must look at increasing their intakes’ he urged.
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a promising course for the future.
New Institute of hospitality Sri Lanka New Executive Committee for year 2024 / 2025 comprises of Keerthi Wickramasinghe, Nalinda Abeyratne , Niroshan De Silva, Rehan Razeen, Sisira Senaratne (Treasurer), Thushara Gunawardana (Vice Chairman), Dr. Harsha Jayasinghe ( Immediate Past President), Ramesh Dasanayake (President), Rauf Marfyne (Secretary), Lalith Rajapaksha, Rukshan Fernando, Ms. Renuka Jayamanna and Ms. Taniya Tissera.
New Institute of hospitality Sri Lanka New Executive Committee for year 2024 2025
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