Travel / Lifestyle

Small hotels in South in top gear to woo tourists

by Lalin Fernandopulle

Most of the small hotels in the South that were badly affected by the tsunami are back in operation and despite a slight drop in tourist arrivals last year they are now in top gear to offer their best.

Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism Dr. P. Ramanujan told the Sunday Observer that a good number of hotels along the Southern coastal belt have been refurbished and commenced operations. The small hotels are back in operation though they are not making much profits.

The drop in tourists arrivals during the last three months has not hindered the activities of these hotels, he said.

Dr. Ramanujan said President Mahinda Rajapaksa has shown tremendous interest in reviving all hotels affected by the tsunami and putting them in full operation. Three tourist resorts in Kalpitiya, Arugam Bay and Hambantota damaged by the tsunami will be developed and put into operation this year.

The Tourism Ministry has granted loans up to Rs. 917 million so far under a scheme of the Central Bank for recovery activities of all affected hotels. In spite of the adverse publicity carried out in the West against tourism in Sri Lanka the number of arrivals was quite satisfactory corresponding with the figures of the previous year.

Over 450,000 tourist arrivals were recorded last year despite the setback and this year the industry is confident of achieving the 600,000 target given a conducive atmosphere in the country.

The travel advisories issued by the French and German governments were quite harsh and a severe blow to the growth of the industry. We need to counter such negative publicity against the country which has always been a preferred and sought after tourist destination in the globe, he said.

The stakeholders should work harder to counter all false and biased opinions and ensure that the tourism industry thrives.

Tourists are not swayed by negative publicity and are deeply conscious that the entire country is not affected by the war and that they are not targets of attacks.

Dr. Ramanujan said the tourism industry has embarked on a US$ 150,000 promotional drive to capture more UK, Indian, Chinese and Middle East markets which have not been tapped so far.

The Ministry together with SriLankan Airlines will introduce good tour packages for travellers visiting the country.

The Middle East, Indian, Chinese and Japanese tourist markets should be fully exploited. Tourists from those countries have shown much interest in Sri Lanka and prefer to visit the country.

With the Chinese government taking a renewed interest in Buddhism in the country tourists visiting historic Buddhist and cultural sites in Sri Lanka have increased.

The Ministry plans to organise several promotional activities in China, Japan and South East Asian countries to attract more tourists to the country. Sri Lankan expatriates in these countries will carry out propaganda and promotional activities, he said.

"We have decided to develop the UK market since it has been lenient in its travel warning. The Ministry has appealed to governments which have issued strong advisories to ease the ban."

With regard to new strategies, he said, the industry has to go beyond beaches and venture into eco-cultural and adventure tourism which are becoming increasingly popular. The major obstacle to develop the leisure industry, he said, is the poor infrastructure facilities.

The bad road network and constant traffic congestion are a drawback to tourists to get to their destinations on time. Tourism looks bright with the Southern and the Katunayake-Colombo highways and the Weerawila international airport to be completed in three years, Dr. Ramanujan said.

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SriLankan extends agreement with ALAE

SriLankan Airlines and the Association of Licensed Aircraft Engineers (ALAE) have extended their longstanding Collective Agreement for a further three years.

The National Carrier first entered into a collective agreement with the ALAE in 1999, which was extended for three more years in 2003. The latest extension will take it up to February 28, 2009.

CEO of SriLankan Peter Hill said: "In the increasingly competitive world of civil aviation, it is important to ensure close co-operation and team spirit among management and employees, for the benefit of the company and its staff.

This agreement is a continuation of SriLankan Airlines' policy to have a practical framework through which this can be ensured."

The airline already has similar Collective Agreements with all its other unions, including the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya, the Airline Pilots Guild of Sri Lanka, the Flight Attendants Union, the SriLankan Airlines Aircraft Technicians' Association, the Manual and Mercantile Workers Union in Singapore, and the Foreign Airlines Employees Union Peninsular Malaysia.

Toys for children on Emirates flights

Emirates has a surprise for children travelling on board their long haul flights. From the beginning of January, they will find a brand new bumper bag of goodies to make flying fun, in addition to the airline's extensive in flight entertainment package.

The new toys come in one of two must-have bags: a colourful rucksack (presented on flights outbound from Dubai) and a cool bag (presented on inbound flights). Each one comes in five different colour combinations.

Among them is a new soft toy exclusive to Emirates and sure to become a favourite. It's called a Querk.

The Querk is an animal that loves to travel and can take on the guise of various animals from destinations around the world.

This lovable character comes in a soft fabric bag with one of five costumes: Salaam the Lion, Yorkie the Eagle, Sydney the Koala, Paris the Rabbit or Delhi the Elephant.

Children will have fun dressing up the Querk and will be eager to collect the whole set. For babies and toddlers, the Querk comes in the form of a glove puppet dressed in one of the five animal costumes.

The Querk, from German manufacturer Simba Toys, will be exclusively available on Emirates flights for the next two years.

It will then be retailed by the makers but the costumes given on Emirates will continue to be exclusive to the airline.

SLTB Multimedia DVD-Lanka a land like no other

The Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) has released a multimedia DVD which contains short TV commercials, films on nature/culture/adventure, documentary and sights and sounds of the tourist destinations of Sri Lanka.

The aim of this DVD is to help promote tourism in the country in a more liquid form.

One of the main problems in promoting tourism is to get out the information on what exactly Sri Lanka has to offer its tourists.

The clips show the hill country, cultural triangle, wildlife, safaris, water sports and ayurveda. Focus is also given to the cultural heritage of the country and Sri Lanka's cottage industry.

This includes the perahera, Kandyan dancers, fire dancers, drummers, fishing, carving and the handloom industry.