Hoteliers from SAARC should get together to be a catalyst for cooperation, which will benefit the countries and the hotel and travel industries in particular, says Qasim Jafri.
SAARC has been in existence for over two decades but its existence is the best kept secret as far as the people of its member countries are concerned. It has made some inroads in the field of journalism but there is little else to show for it.
The South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) is an active body of SAARC with its headquarters in Lahore. By default, it even contributes to some cultural interaction between the members on a somewhat smaller scale.
One of the basic objectives of SAARC would be to promote socio-economic uplift through trade and cultural exchanges through close contacts and understanding between citizens of the member countries. Despite shared geography, history and common heritage, SAARC citizens are still strangers to each other and their cultures.
Setting aside any political undercurrents and impediments, an initiative for a more liberal visa regime and easier access to tourist destinations should be facilitated to achieve this all important objective.
For this, all member countries, particularly India and Pakistan, will have to rise above their different points of view and rhetoric to bring it to fruition.
Tour operators in all SAARC countries are engaged in active out-bound and in-bound travel inviting international visitors, but no one is seriously perusing travel from and within the neighbouring countries.
Consequently, it is difficult if not impossible to acquire information, much less booking hotels, airlines and sightseeing tips. While the SAARC secretariat is perusing other political and non political goals there is little attention paid to people-to-people contact, which is the real essence of any understanding between the societies of member nations.
There have also been sporadic culinary and cultural exchanges between countries but they have been informal and too infrequent to make a meaningful difference. For instance Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi food fiestas and cross cultural festivals have been organised by different five-star hotels in these countries, but these have been individual initiatives without any institutional or official support.
There have been a few students who have managed to have internships in hotels across the SAARC cities but these are few and far between and are mainly driven from individual efforts as opposed to an organised sector. There are high quality hotel schools in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which could easily benefit prospective hoteliers from other relatively less developed SAARC members; an initiative which must be activated and formalised by the governments of these countries.
There are a lot of systems and procedures which are efficient and practical but are not entirely common in hotel industries across the SAARC member nations. These ‘best practices’ could and should be shared to benefit all stake holders in the industry.
Tour operators, travel agents, hotels and other related organisations, must join hands to persuade their respective governments to optimise tremendous potential of travel and multilateral trade which exists within these countries.
Travel trade is the third largest employer in the world, a fact which will serve these nations well by increasing trade and commerce, thereby generating much needed employment opportunities. There are individual associations of hotels in each member country.
These associations must get together and form an umbrella organisation which should act as a catalyst in cooperation and coordination between different national associations to benefit the countries in general – and hotel and travel industries in particular.
The area of cooperation could span training and development; referral business practice; cross reservation mechanism; organising different culinary and cultural festivals, and holding annual regional meetings of industry professionals to translate these initiatives into sustainable practice.
More integrated activity between member countries in the fields of travel, tourism and hospitality as one economic and geographical entity, will make it easier to market their destinations to international markets, which in turn will generate tremendous commercial activity contributing to socio-economic well being of societies across the SAARC spectrum.
As things stand now it seems that the member countries, their ministries of tourism and travel trade houses, have not yet realised the potential and impact of such an integrated initiative.
There are also a few countries which have recently become members in the capacity of observers. This gives extra strength and impetus to a collective effort to promote their individual destinations as one large geographical destination.
While it has to be accepted that there will always be some differences of opinion between some member states, that discord should not prevent them from making progress on other less contentious issues which will directly benefit the common man.
This might, of course, seem like a Utopian dream, but building from block-to-block will eventually lead to a viable edifice. However, this will take determination, perseverance, vision, drive and clear headed thinking, on part of the respective governments and public and private sectors, to take the initiative and lay the foundation for future development and progress.
