Chairman of the Hotel and Catering Management International Association (HCIMA) Kamal Hapuwatte said Sri Lanka is entering into a new era of tourism and hospitality management, after the dark period the industry went through due to the tsunami.

"The hospitality companies are looking for more stringent and coefficient policies in managing their properties to recover losses they suffered due to the tsunami" he noted.

The staff is expected to be more

productive and efficient in their day to day work and most of the hotels have reduced the number of employees to achieve these objectives, Hapuwatte said.

"It is a time that "professionalism will emerge as the surviving strategy in the industry, will no doubt look up to professional organisations such as HCIMA to play a major role in enhancing the professionalism among the personnel engaged in the industry," he stressed.

"The Executive Committee of HCIMA is fully committed to play this role wholeheartedly."

He was addressing the members and invitees at the seventh annual Chairman EDs Black Tie Dinner of the HCIMA at the Waters Edge last week.

"To this end, we are planning to conduct a series of short seminars throughout the country in the near future while the Sri Lanka Tourist Board as the National Tourism Authority, and the Sri lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management are preparing to face up to the challenge with a complete restructuring programme. This is currently underway and will come into effect from the beginning of 2006", Hapuwatte noted.