1

Ikarus Tours Germany is a loyal partner to Walkers Tours for over 20 years who is specialized

in Study tours and trekking tours all around the world. In May 2015 fifteen officials /partners

from Ikarus Tours visited Sri Lanka on a familiarization tour. Upon completion of this fam tour

Walkers Tours was honored by the “Certification of Excellence’’ after 20 years of service! The

superior quality of service provided and always trying to delight the customer is what no doubt

assist us in continuously been awarded such certifications.

The Pulse

Volume 3 Issue 4 Leisure Inbound- Employee Newsletter August 2015

Inside this issue

The Other Side

Customer Focus - Kuoni’s Top

Priority

TourCert Features our own

Partnership offering the best

deals

Quality Focused

Constantly Improving Service

Standards

Making Learning all that more

Interesting

Whittalls’ Guide Recognized by

Kuoni UK

Living the National Dream

Inbound Force

Trailfinders in Sri Lanka

Tribute to all Fathers

Sports Club AGM

Volunteer Recondition Day

Sports

2

5

6

7

7

7

8

10

11

12

12

13

13

14

14

With excellence been the core strength of every Inbounder the HR team of Walkers

and Whittalls participated at the John Keells Group HR Case Study competition. A case

study was developed under the theme of “Transformation through Excellence” which

was led by the tag line “Great Company = Good Friends”. Been evaluated under the

“Small & Medium” category, the case study of Walkers and Whittalls emerged joint

winners with Keells Foods Products Limited (KFPL). It is indeed a great privilege to be

among the best and we are proud of our achievement. To add to this excitement we

developed a video too, which was designed, directed and produced in-house with the

talents of our very own. This is a true testimony to the excellent spirit displayed by every

Inbounder. Kudos to team Walkers and Whittalls – Wouldn’t have been possible without

each and every one of you!

Great Company = Good Friends Indeed!!

‘Certification of Excellence’ by Ikarus

Tours, Germany

Winning is our Spirit, Excellence is our

Passion

2

+

Anil

Anil moved to Walkers Tours from CHMS in 2014 and has settled in to the team very well. He loves the fact

that the team enjoys each other’s company and has fun while working towards their goal. He’s Proud to be a

part of the team and hopes to continue the good work. He refers to his team as a bunch of flowers each

possessing a different kind of beauty and he feels responsible to take care of his amazing team.

Atif

Atif started his career as a JKH Management Trainee and received his placement at Inbound along with his final

project. He claims that settling in was the easiest process and thanks his team for making his transition an easy

one. Atif loves his teams’ attention to detail and enjoys working side by side with them. Now looking back he

feels the MT stint was a great training ground which assisted him to take up the challenges at Inbound.

The Other Side – Team Finance

Mr. Peiris

Mr. Peiris has been overlooking the finance team of Inbound since 2014, in addition to his responsibilities

as SFC of CHMS and City Hotels. He believes John Keells Group is Unique in many ways and their strength

lies in their Management style and Culture. He believes that being focused and target driven is the key to

success at John Keells. The Leisure Sector is people focused and customer driven. The business is all about

people and that makes it a very exciting and challenging sector. The finance team at Inbound is a relatively

a young bunch, and everyone understands their role in the Strategy of the Company. There is a good mix

of pure number crunchers and operational finance but everyone understands the needs of the operation.

He says honesty and integrity should be our foundation while staying focused and outdoing yourself year

on year is the challenge that must be met.

Vindya

Vindya moved to Inbound from Group Business Process Review of JKH just over a year ago. She loves the

diversity in the team and feels they are very energetic and committed. Her role is to steady the ship, make

sure team spirit is high and they add value to the company. She says they smile even when working under

pressure. Overall she feels the team is talented and fun and she enjoys working with them. She is confident

that they will keep up the good work.

Harini

Harini too moved to Walkers Tours from CHMS and was able to settle in quite fast as she felt the team was

very welcoming, helpful and was extremely friendly. According to her team, she loves to annoy cops. She is a

law abiding faithful citizen of the country however with one exception - the traffic signals. She feels proud to

be a member of a premier DMC and a leading conglomerate of the country.

For this issue of the Pulse we decided to feature the Finance Team of Inbound on “The Other Side”.

Mrs. Perera

Mrs. Chandrika Perera and Mr. Sunil Peiris leads a dynamic and passionate team who constantly strive to

raise the bar. The key to success lies in the composition of the team, comprising of finance professionals

with skill sets that complement each other; this enables them to challenge the status quo and formulate

appropriate processes in a rapidly changing business environment. She points out that WTL and WBTL were

pioneers in the Inbound Travel Industry and have produced leaders of distinction in the JKH Group. In her

opinion, teamwork, built on a willingness to innovate, understand and respect the contribution made by

other disciplines, will take the Sector to greater heights.

Nalin

Nalin quenched his thirst to work in the finance sector when he joined Whittalls little over a year ago.

Nalin appreciates his loyal team and further described them as committed, caring, and hardworking.

Generic adjectives to describe a great team. Nalin looks to add further value to the organization and we

are all excited for what he has in store for us.

3

Imesha

Imesha joined the Finance team seven years ago and is fondly known as the baby elephant in the room.

Her morning hours are usually spent with JKH treasury and banks which are none like the finance team

she belongs to. She is proud to be a part of Leisure Inbound as she believes that the Inbound flag never

fails to fly high. She credits the success of her team to the hard work put in by every member and the

excellent team spirit displayed.

Venusha

She has been in the team for the better part of a decade, and is fondly known as “Donkey Suit”. Venusha sure

feels she has come a long way in her career and is proud to have been a part of Leisure Inbound throughout

as she believes there is no better place. She firmly believes that hard work will take you a long way, but

Teamwork is the key to success.

Thushara

A veteran some would call him, though his team mates call him “Mr. Sundara Sikurada.” He is held responsible

to ensure salaries are paid on time (minus the exceeded mobile phone charges) and his team mates never let

go of a moment to remind him of that. He thinks the team is strengthened by their unity and loves the fact

they are very fun and entertaining to work with.

Shazra

Shazra is relatively new to the team with one year’s experience behind her. She is a professional

photographer who specialises in Wedding photography. She feels proud to be a part of this team and

finds her colleagues to be extremely helpful and friendly. According to her “the team unites at the

thought of FOOD and this team is family to me”

Sachithra

Sachithra joined Leisure Inbound from Infomate a little over a year ago. Since then she has been known as

the pink panther. She is also known as the angry bird in the team. She finds her team to be supportive and

full of encouragement. She is ever so grateful for the invaluable exposure she has received during her short

stint at Leisure Inbound.

Abdul

Abdul joined the company one and half years ago and has established himself as one of the most prominent

members of the team. Often known as “Donkey” or “Abbul” he is the go to man for any and all information.

He is often referred to as the “Google” or “Wikipedia” of Finance or even “Live@55 Helpdesk”. You need

information – Just call Abdul! He enjoys working at JKH since he gets to continue his love for sports whilst

building his career.

Dinusha

Dinusha has been a member of the team for a little over two years. Fondly known as Dinu or Hewisi her

main role in the team is to be the “Irritator” to balance things off. She is proud to be a part of this team and

is looking forward to exciting challenges ahead.

Anjali

Anjali is excited about the new challenges thrown her way and has already become an integral part of the

team in just 9 months. Infamously named “Mother of all problems” she guides all her team members to

solutions for their excessive problems and hopes to expand her consultation to the rest of Inbound very soon.

She feels the team is unique in their own ways and hopes to do her best to help each one of them.

4

Chintha

Chintha has developed into a charismatic individual who works hard and adds enthusiasm to the team. She

enjoys the friendly working environment specially the fact that she gets to annoy the detailing officers when

verifying TO’s. Champion swimmer in the making, she is ever willing to be a part of this amazing team for a

greater causes.

Sithija

Known as the CID of Finance, Sithija has been a part of the team for a year. When he’s not chilling with

the cashiers or assisting the data base team, he is entrusted with getting down the ‘Cheese’ from the

bank. (Whatever that means) He feels each and every one has different types of talents and attitudes

and he enjoys their company. His teammates are like family to him and he is proud to work alongside

them.

Priyantha

Despite the risky nature of his job Priyantha still manages to enjoy every moment of it. He is grateful to be

a part of this amazing team which supports him to grow professionally by learning from others. He credits

his team of being supportive is grateful for a stress free environment which has been created amongst the

team.

Anjelo

Joined the Walkers Tours Finance team as a cashier and is one of the quietest guys in the team (at

least he believes so). He finds this team to be the best to work with due to the amazing team spirit

displayed by all. He loves to be known as a normal guy ever willing to lend a helping hand.

Quintus

Working in the Finance department for over 2 decades, he is a veteran in his field. Nicknamed “Quinta”

by his teammates, he is happy to be a part of such a vibrant team. Quintus is excited to work at inbound

and says that’ it is the most lucrative sector in Sri Lankas’ no 1 blue chip company’.

Sanath

Not only by name but by experience Sanath shares similarity to the left handed cricketing maestro. With 15

years working in the accounts department now under his belt Sanath has been embedded with the

nickname ‘Suni’. Working well under pressure he assists his team to maintain a ‘stress free’ working

environment. Much like Sri Lanka’s cricketing son, much too is expected from Sanath in the coming days.

Asoka

Asoka is a 21 year corperate veteran, who plays a critical part in the most dynamic area of business,

satisfying customer needs. “Risky business” Asoka says, when asked about it. Asoka and his team

however impressively maintains a ‘can do’ attitude and when asked about them he proudly says

they’re care free and easy going, telling us a lot about Asoka as a team leader. JKH has supplemented

Asoka’s career development and he seems enthusiastic about the future to come.

Amani

Joined Walkers a year ago and has already got a nickname for herself as ‘gold fish’. Working in

the Transport invoicing department, she enjoys helping around the work place and is kind to all

those in need of her assistance. Amani completely agrees that JKH is more than just a work place.

5

A training was conducted in May for Guides and Chauffer guides who work with Whittalls Travels. The programme for the day was

mainly focused on the requirements of Kuoni guests and what they can do differently when handling Kuoni customers.

The facilitators of this training were from Kuoni UK, namely Wendy Kenneally (Vice President Kuoni Travel UK) and Jane Sebuliba

(Manager Kuoni Travel UK). The training also addressed the expectations that come along with servicing Kuoni clientele. They facilitated

this through the use of advertising tactics and marketing tools used in UK to create the ‘Kuoni Experience’ in the minds of its prospective

clients.

Kuoni makes customer focus their top priority because it’s not just a holiday for the guests, it’s a life experience and experiential travel.

Other areas that were covered include, diversity of their customers, how language & body-language plays a crucial part and an interactive

session where the opinions/ concerns of the guides were taken up by the facilitators. The training was well received by all and helped

uplift the overall service standard of Whittalls Travels and its stakeholders.

Godfrey

Godfrey is a new addition to our team here at inbound. Gaddafi, as his teams knows him, has adapted

easily to his new role at Inbound. Godfrey enjoys the friendly company that his team provides and says

inbound is a dynamic and enjoyable work place’.

Kumaran

Kumaran is usually quite the busy person with little or no time to spare for small talk, same as the rest

of the cashiers. He enjoys the company of people with different ideas and thoughts who walk up to him

day in day out. (Exchanging a couple of ideas in his view is definitely not small talk) Best part of been in

this team is the excellent team spirit possessed by all and that they are all ever willing to find a reason

to celebrate and party, to top it all the ETF policy (Easy things first). What motivates him to be a part of

this team is all the sporting events, training and all other programmes that help him take a break from

the stressful nature of his job and helps him grow professionally. He loves to travel around and one

equipment he never fails to take along with him would be his fishing rod – as he loves to fish.

Deshanee

Moved to Finance from Thomas Cook, Deshanee has enjoyed every moment of the past six months. She

is the chief coordinator of all the fun events, a responsibility given to her even though she’s one of the

newer additions to the team. She thinks her teamates are an entertaining bunch even if sometimes it

means she is on the receiving end of some bullying.

Hashan

1st of June 2015 will remain a memorable day for Hashan as his career at Inbound took off on

that day. Today Hashan has got a name change, nicknamed ‘yodha babba’, he has adjusted well

into the work environment and enjoys his role and the exposure it brings with it. Hashan’s

pocket size team consisting of 3 members is very supportive of each other and he enjoys the

contemporary work environment here at Inbound.

Nishanthi

Often known by her nickname “Nishi”, Nishanthi is often tasked with the most difficult responsibility, the

distribution of food and coordination of almost everything. She has been in the team for 7 years and has

grown very fond of them over the years. Her favourite quality is that they find moments of laughter amidst

their busy schedule. Inbound is very unique according to her and she feels delighted to be a part of this great

team.

Customer Focus - Kuoni’s Top Priority

6

TourCert Website Features Our Own

TourCert website (www.tourcert.org) features our Senior Executive – Sustainabilty, Sachintha Fernando.

7

Constantly raising the bar and improving the service standards is what makes us a

premier Destination Management Company. Keeping in line with this Walkers Tours

organized a training programme to enhance the quality of its fore front, the Chauffeur

Guides. This is an annual training programme organized which covers a wide array of

quality aspects. The training commenced with the standards expected by Walkers

Tours and Whittalls Travels- the sole agent for Kuoni. The carbon consultancy

company too is invited to share with our Chauffeurs the importance of the Carbon

Neutral certification, which makes Walkers Tours the first DMC in Asia to be carbon

neutral certified. With the majority of the session been facilitated by Mr. Nuwan

Sithara Mahawattage the training is mainly focused towards the growing demand in

the tourism industry, the knowledge of the product and the standard of quality

required by Chauffeurs in today’s business environment.

Constantly Improving Service Standards

Cvisit.com and Wow.lk joined forces to launch an unparalleled travel

offering to online customers. Customers of the website will be able to

take advantage of steep discounts of as much as 40% to 50% on over

100 hotel properties whilst make their bookings seamlessly online. We

strive to deliver a convenient virtual shopping experience to

customers, providing them with a variety of affordable products and

services.

Partnership offering the Best Deals

Quality Focused Continuously striving to

maintain high level of Quality,

Health and safety standards

of all our ancillary suppliers is

of great importance. With

majority of the business been

dependent on our supply

chain ensuring its quality

standards is essential. The

Health and Safety team of

Leisure Inbound carried out

several inspections of their

ancillary suppliers around the

country, in order to ensure

compliance of the Health and

Safety requirements of the

company.

8

Making Learning all that more Interesting

Who said training was all about being stuck in a classroom with lecture notes and PowerPoint presentations? At Walkers and Whittalls

we give a different taste to training. Inbound Tourism is an industry to be lived and understood, and what better way to train our

employees than getting them to experience the same. We call it Product Knowledge Tours and it’s also known as Familiarisation (Fam)

tours. Month of June saw 3 teams setting off to various parts of the Island in order to live like a tourist and experience the beauty the

country has to offer. A 5-6 day tour is arranged, accompanied by a veteran tour guide and an experience staff member to guide them

through the entire tour. Learning different accommodation options, travelling experience, location experiences, and a taste of the island

from their own pallet which would indeed assist in helping them pitch to our clients better. Been able to deter competition by converting

every inquiry in to a sale will only be possible if at the first go a killer impression is created in the minds of our clients, and we believe

this kind of training would no doubt support the objective. Upon their return, each team was asked to do a 30 minute presentation to

the senior management of Leisure Inbound in order to share their learnings on the tour while also improving their presentation skills. In

addition to the learning this also helps create friendships and expands the network which is essential in the industry we are in today.

When asked to describe their thought on the training, this is what they had to say.

Shavinki

“Cold, cloudy, tiring but fabulous.”

Sachini

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”

Lasanthi “A value added trip indeed, both personal and operational wise!”

Upekha “An adventurous experience with many learning outcomes “

9

Lakshimaal “4 days, 15 friends and memories of a lifetime.”

Anjali

“A heritage walk amidst fun, excitement and knowledge.”

Nilushika “Together, we travelled to explore the heritage and wild of the Wonder of Asia, and in the midst we became young fools again!”

Lavanga “Ended up loving them; who gave me the best memories to

cherish “

Aindra “We gathered memories of excitement and joy

with a bunch of knowledge.”

Kethaki “Great Experience and gained knowledge which will be valuable in

promoting Sri Lanka to clients.”

Dinidu

“It was a great opportunity for all of us, as the experience that we gained from the

tour can be utilized to add value to our day to day work.”

Melissa “Will definitely use all the knowledge gathered during the experience of learning more about the history of Sri Lanka!”

10

Bernard Machado has been working for Kuoni UK since 1976 at which point they

were handled by Baurs and Whittalls Travels was not even in existence. It was his

first job and he has been working as a tour guide ever since. Since the

incorporation of Whittalls Travels in 1993 and subsequent acquisition of Kuoni as

a client, Bernard has extended his fullest support to Whittalls Travels at all times.

His hard work and long years of service paid off in grand style when he was

adjudged runner up – Kuoni global guide of the year by Kuoni UK in 2014/15. He

credits his success to knowing the British way of life inside out which helps him

connect with clients and being up-to-date, be it sports or politics so there is never

a dull moment between him and the clients.

Whittalls’ Guide Recognised by Kuoni UK

Yudesh “It was an amazing experience. Firsthand experience increases knowledge of the product and assists us in

promoting it. It was also beneficial for us as we gathered a lot of knowledge on Sri Lanka’s history and heritage. “

Kevin “Great first-hand experience! We were able to walk through the cultural triangle in the shoes of our

clients hence allowing us to provide them true experience in Sri Lanka.”

11

Living the National Dream

Indian Movement - Experiences

Tushan had been dreaming of wearing the national jersey ever since he touched a basketball specifically since he was 9 years old.

The opportunity came knocking this year when he was called out to trial for the team. Just four days before the South Asian

Basketball Championship commenced on the 03rd of July in Bangalore, the team was announced. Little did Tushan know that in

four days, he would be on a plane to India and his childhood dream would finally come true. Tushan is no stranger to stardom, he

captained the Trinity College under 17 and under 19 basketball teams, was awarded the Most Valuable Player at the Big Match

against Kingswood College and was awarded the prestigious Trinity Lion for Basketball. He also continuously represents the Central

Province Men’s Basketball team ever since 2010 and represented the Junior National team. All these achievements are treasured

by Tushan, but playing for the National team undisputedly ranks number 01 on his list. The best part of it is that he never expected

it to come when it did. Being called up in spite of coming of a season plagued with injuries is a testament to the hard work Tushan

has put in. Practicing after work throughout the week, and putting in extra hours on the court on Sundays is just a glimpse in to the

level of commitment displayed by him. Sri Lanka ultimately came runner up to host India, but the memory of representing his

country for the first time would always be cherished by him.

12

Inbound Force

Hiran – Sporty

Shanadi – Dance

Hashan – Fitness

Ashley Xie – Crab

Ashley Yang – Forever 21

Jinani – Star

–

–

Praveen

Trailfinders in Sri Lanka

Ashley Yang – Forever

21

Ashley Xie – Crab

Hiran – Sporty

Shanadi – Dance

Jinani – Star

Hashan – Fitness

Randitha – Fantastic

Afra – Debater

Praveen – Adaptive

Godfrey – Player

Pulitha – Awesome

The Trailfinders team arrived in the country with the aim of experiencing Sri Lanka like their clients would. They were accompanied

by some of our staff members on the tour.

Taking a look at the new faces at Inbound and the words according to them which best describes them.

13

Tribute to all Fathers

Walkers and Whittalls celebrated Father’s Day on the 19th of June 2015 with all 37 fathers. A framed picture was gifted as a token of

appreciation to every father in order to celebrate them. Whilst their services to the company are valued, this was a moment of gratitude

to say that they are truly appreciated.

John Keells Group Sports Club AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the John Keells Group Sports Club was held on the 30th of June 2015 at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel

and all those who represented the John Keells Group and won in their respective sports such as Rugby, Badminton, Basketball, Cricket

and Swimming at Mercantile Level were recognized.

14

v

Volunteer Recognition Day The Annual Volunteer Recognition Day of the John Keells Foundation for the year 2014/15 was held on 18th June 2015 at the Cinnamon

Lakeside Hotel. A few of our colleagues were recognized under the Gold and Silver Categories.

Heshan Leads JKH Rugby Team Heshan Gunaratne captained the JKH Rugby team which represented the John Keells Group at the Mercantile Rugby 7’s 2015 which was

held on the 10th, 11th and 12th July 2015. Also we are proud to note along with Heshan, Radeesha, Sithum and Senal too represented the JKH

Rugby team. JKH “A” team emerged Plate Runners Up and JKH “B” team the Bowl Champs.

15

YMF Tag Rugby Tournament Team Walkers emerged runners up at the Inaugural YMF Tag Rugby Tournament 2015 organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Young

Members Forum which was held at the Mount Lavinia Beach on the 08th of August 2015. Team Walkers went on to top the group and defeated

Aitken Spence Travels in the Semi Finals before finally losing out to Kandurata Umbrellas in the Grand Final.

16

Travel Trade Archery Tournament

JKH Inter Company Badminton Tournament Leisure Inbound Men’s “A” team was placed third after defeating Cinnamon Lakeside in the third place playoff at the JKH Inter

Company Badminton Tournament held on 4th July 2015 at the Mercantile Badminton Association.

Are you a trendsetter us? The albums can be viewed at

http://www.facebook.com/CareersatWalkersWhittalls

Walkers and Whittalls were placed fourth at the Innaugaral Travel Trade Archery Tournament 2015 which was held at the Colombo Archery

School on the 24th of July 2015.