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| Sunday, 4 July 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Renovating the Reef Comber by Elmo Leonard The Reef will be the new name for Hikkaduwa's The Reef Comber, when renovations are complete and a new-look, three-and-a-half-star, hotel opens end-October. The 51-room, sea-front Hikkaduwa resort, under the dynamic Connaissance Hotel Management, had a running 90 percent occupancy during the last winter season. This hospitality unit, was acquired by Connaissance in April 2003. Backed by good tourist inflow during the past two years, Connaissance's 45-roomed, The Fortress in Koggala is under complete reconstruction. This small luxury boutique hotel with a Dutch Fort concept, will open its doors for the 2005 winter season. As Connaissance's marketing director, Dinesh Silva said: "First things, first." The Reef, is having its outer and inner walls remodelled. The Reef hotel stands on two acres of sand, cum grass, surrounded by towering, light-searching coconut palm. When opened, it will feature a fuller array of water sports in addition to other sports activities. Also, the facilitating coral reef of Hikkaduwa remains to be explored. Adding an extra touch of value will be The Reef's ayurvedic centre. Connaissance markets its hotels through its local and foreign travel agents. The Reef Comber witnessed a lot of repeat foreign tourists, it is understood, while the number of locals tourists into its hotels is growing. Its main clientele is Japanese, followed by Germans, British, French and Dutch. The Indian market is also being perused, Dinesh Silva said. The other Connaissance hotels are Culture Club, Dambulla - a four- star with 92 rooms; 11 Eco Lodges in Dambulla; Unawatuna Beach Resort, a 62 room three-star resort (marketed by Connaissance) and Pahala Waluwwa in Kotmale, the former ancestral home of Gamini Disssanayake. ******** RCI expands in Sri Lanka RCI, the global provider of leisure travel services and the world leader in Vacation Ownership exchange, today announced its strategic plans with a view to promoting Sri Lanka to the global leisure travellers. RCI is seeking to expand its network in Sri Lanka through a concerted effort with the Sri Lankan Tourism Board. Growing international tourist interest in the island-country which has an unmatched hospitality infrastructure has catapulted Sri Lanka to one of the most sought-after tourism destinations. Currently, RCI has an affiliated resort in Hambantota in Southern Sri Lanka. RCI intends to direct vacation ownership member traffic to Sri Lanka and help more of its discerning members discover the varied attractions of the country. Adorned by stunning beaches, hills, sprawling tea plantations and ancient Buddhist temples, Sri Lanka is waiting to be explored. "We have witnessed a sudden surge in demand from our members to experience the traditional Sri Lankan hospitality. Liberalisation of exchange controls in India, better and cheaper accessibility to the island-country and growth in the number of leisure travellers will drive the RCI expansion plans in Sri Lanka", Raju Shahani, President and General Manager - RCI Asia, India and China, said. RCI plans to initiate talks for affiliation with several resort developers and hotel chains in Sri Lanka. Research has shown that investment by developers in vacation ownership resorts contributes to significant return on investment during a booming tourism scenario, and at the same time, generates local employment, contributes to the local exchequer through tourist spending and enhances the overall hospitality infrastructure in the country. "The emerging economic and civic stability further stems our belief of tremendous growth for RCI in Sri Lanka", Shahani added. The company is hosting an evening the Colombo on July 8th, to be attended by its senior leadership team, to further share its plans and the time share revenue model with potential entrants in the Vacation Ownership industry. It may be noted that RCI has stringent quality benchmarks and enforcement processes to ensure memorable holiday experiences for its members. Worldwide, the Vacation Ownership industry is growing at an average 14% every year as against the growth of the tourism industry at 6% it has attracted some of the leading global brands in the hospitality industry such as Hilton, Disney, Mariott, Haytt and Sol Melia, which are some of the names that are a part of this business today. About RCI: RCI is a global provider of leisure travel services to businesses and consumers, with market leadership positions in vacation property exchange, rental and resort management. As a growth partner to its business clients, RCI leverages core competencies in networks, technology, brand and product development and world-class customer service to deliver superior vacation experiences for travellers anywhere in the world. |
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