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| Sunday, 24 February 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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One million tourists this year PM's target - Bodhi Ranasinghe
Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe's vision and target to bring in over one million foreign tourists from around the world to Sri Lanka this year, has been lauded by leading personalities in the travel trade said veteran hotelier, Bodhi Ranasinghe, the new Chairman of the Sri Lanka Hotel's Corporation. Speaking to the Sunday Observer, Ranasinghe said that in the recent past, the highest figure of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka stood at four hundred thousand. Under the guidance of the Premier, steps are being taken to increase this number to over one million. Visa procedures Due to the recent relaxing of Visa procedures, over four hundred thousand tourists from India alone visited Sri Lanka. The recent implementation of Indian Credit Card system to Sri Lanka, has resulted in a influx of Indian tourists to Sri Lanka. The CHC Chairman disclosed that steps have been taken to bring the BIA SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lanka Tourist Board and Sri Lanka Hotels Corporation under one umbrella. Due to the lack of coordination among those institutions, tourists who visited Sri Lanka had faced numerous hardships, Ranasinghe said. 100 day program Under the 100-day program initiated by the Premier, steps have been taken to uplift all rest houses and outlets managed by the Hotels Corporation. The CHC building at Wellawatte is also being modernised at a cost of rupees one million, he said. The Far Inn Hotel at World's End which was under the Forest Conservation Department will be taken over soon by the CHC. Twenty one properties are being managed by the CHC at present including rest houses, hotels and outlets. The CHC also owns 25 per cent shares of the Swiss Hotel and Queens Hotel, Kandy. It also has 30 per cent shares of the Lihiniya Hotel, Bentota, Ranasinghe disclosed. Arrangements are also being made to take over the CHC counter at the BIA which had been handed over to the private sector. We are faced with strict competition from the private sector. Therefore steps should be taken to increase the facilities offered by CHC rest hoses and outlets, Ranasinghe said. My only ambition, goal and vision is to modernise and upgrade the Sri Lanka Hotels Corporation which is now over 34 years old, the veteran hotelier Bodhi Ranasinghe said. 'I am certain that under the Premier's peace program, Sri Lanka's Tourism Industry will see an 'Adata wada honda hetak', a better day tomorrow, concluded Ranasinghe. All reservations and inquiries can be made from the Travel Counter of the CHC head office at No. 411, Galle Road, Bambalapitiya. |
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