Kamal Munasinghe, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Area Vice President – Colombo and General Manager Cinnamon Grand Colombo, discusses the importance of prioritizing sustainable tourism as the sector looks at a rebound following its steady decline after 2019. He avers that understanding the concept of sustainable travel and meeting evolving consumer needs is paramount, and begins this interview by explaining how travellers’ conscious choices significantly impact the entire industry’s relevance.
With a growing environmental consciousness, today, tourists are actively seeking meaningful and responsible travel experiences, a trend accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Reinforcing this, a recent global industry survey conducted by Expedia Group Media Solutions to understand the attributes, values, and motivation of travellers in making a conscious travel decision, showed that 69% of modern travellers looked at the impact they make on the environment, while 66% focused on supporting local economies, a “feel good factor”. 65% of the participants emphasised the need to support local cultures and communities, and 52% looked at promoting lesser-known destinations to the world, going way beyond just ticking it off their bucket lists.
Identifying this emerging trend and its impact on the future of the country’s tourism sector is a huge task ahead for the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to put Sri Lanka back on the map as a preferred travel destination. A mission that must be accomplished collectively with industry stakeholders. To leverage this untapped potential and help build Sri Lanka as a sustainable tourism destination, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts has undertaken significant restructuring, establishing sales offices in India, China, the Middle East, and Central Europe, investing in destination marketing campaigns in our key source markets to help fast-track the sector’s rebound.
How is Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts incorporating sustainable practices into its operations, and how has this impacted the environment and local communities?
Travel patterns have undergone significant changes in the post-Covid era. For the modern traveller, it’s all about experiences, a new trend that’s fast developing and identified by the National Geographic Sustainable Tourism Framework of Engaging Travelers. If sustainable tourism is the trend and what’s driving travellers in their conscious travel decisions, then as a brand, we need to adapt and create an offering that resonates with this modern-day need.
As a key player in the industry, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts has achieved remarkable success. One of our key priorities is to ensure that our employees and associates understand these changing trends and are well-versed in sustainable tourism practices.
We conducted multiple programmes that helped our teams understand how we as a hotel brand can engage with the community and enhance the living standards of the people in the areas we operate. In 2021, we launched an initiative called Meals That Heal, taking care of people who are deprived of meals. Over the years, we have provided more than 5000 meals to the people in the area with the help of our guests and donors.
Hotels tend to use a lot of plastic items, and as a result, the negative impact on the environment is massive. Likewise, its impact on the P&L is also significant. So, we have relooked at the usage of plastic in our hotels and made a conscious decision to not only create awareness among our teams but also to eradicate the use of commonly used plastic items such as plastic cutlery, plates, wraps, etc. from our hotels, which also improves our financial wellbeing.
Through a special school program supported by John Keells Foundation called Pasal Diriya we provide meals to children in under-privileged schools in the area. In addition, we constantly work to create awareness of energy & water conservation, zero waste management projects at the school level, and awareness of regulations on food safety for food suppliers and SMEs within the community. The hotels also have organic herb gardens.
In our dedication to environmental conservation, we undertake projects to preserve and restore forests in Sri Lanka. John Keells Holdings, our parent company, has acquired a substantial area in the Sinharaja region, contributing to the expansion of the forest. All subsidiaries of the Holdings actively support this worthy cause. This commitment to community development directly correlates with our business success.
What has been the impact of these sustainability initiatives on the organization?
Our implementation of energy conservation methods in the Colombo area alone has resulted in saving over 50,000kWh of energy.
Our sustainability efforts have yielded positive outcomes for our profit and loss statement. As a business, it is financially advantageous to undertake such measures. Being a first mover offers rapid payback, as it helps align the business with the global trends that are driving business growth. In addition, our global awareness campaigns have successfully attracted environmentally conscious guests seeking sustainable travel experiences. As per the Expedia Group Media Solution survey conducted, 90% of consumers actively seek sustainable options when planning their trips. They are willing to pay a premium of 38% for such experiences. So, the financial benefits of embracing sustainability are quite evident.
Can you elaborate more on your collaboration with local communities and stakeholders to ensure that sustainable initiatives have a positive impact and support the development of a more sustainable tourism industry?
As mentioned, we actively participate in three impactful programmes: the Community Kitchen, School Development, and Meals That Heal. In collaboration with Gangarama Temple, our partnership with the Community Kitchen ensures the provision of daily meals to around a thousand people. Cinnamon Hotels in Colombo have contributed to enhancing its infrastructure and maintaining high hygiene standards, with our skilled chefs overseeing operations and training the team in addition to the support extended by providing part of the kitchen equipment required.
The three Cinnamon hotels in Colombo work together to improve the educational environment of two local schools, under the Pasal Diriya program. Two Community kitchens have already been built in two schools and meals are provided daily to the students. The most important part is that the meals are prepared by their parents who are guided by the culinary team at Cinnamon Hotels in Colombo on nutrition and hygienic food preparations
As the largest Sri Lankan hospitality brand, we currently operate 15 hotels, with 11 in Sri Lanka and four in the Maldives. Our future trajectory revolves around a path of luxury, aiming to provide more than just a luxurious product. We strive to offer a soulful experience to those seeking the best Of Sri Lanka, characterized by elegance and pride”
The most impactful of these is The Meals That Heal programme which has received international recognition with a PATA Gold Award for Corporate Social Responsibility as well. The programme allows our guests to contribute every time they patronize our restaurants in Cinnamon Grand Colombo and Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo. Without the knowledge of the patrons, part of their spending is automatically taken off to support this program.
We have been supported by the domestic market since the pandemic hit, and we recognize the significance of nurturing this market even in the future.
Glimpsing ahead, what are your plans and priorities for these sustainable initiatives, and how will the company continue to innovate and lead in this area despite the challenges posed by the economic crisis?
As the largest Sri Lankan hospitality brand, we currently operate 15 hotels, with 11 in Sri Lanka and four in the Maldives. Our future trajectory revolves around a path of luxury, aiming to provide more than just a luxurious product. We strive to offer a soulful experience to those seeking the best of Sri Lanka, characterized by elegance and pride.
Recognizing the need to evolve with global trends, we have recently re-examined our values. Despite challenging business conditions, we have invested significantly in our product and hotel infrastructure over the past two years, demonstrating our commitment to future operations.
For Sri Lanka as a destination, the sky’s the limit. We possess a wealth of offerings, currently only tapping into a fraction of our potential. The key lies in harnessing all that we have and curating exceptional experiences for our travellers.