[Business Travel]

Develop prime locations in Uva to woo tourists - Chamber Chief

By Lalin Fernandopulle

[email protected]

The number of foreign tourists visiting the Uva province has dropped since many of the prime locations have not been developed to attract tourists, said Chairman, Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Uva province, Ajith Wattuhewa.

He said the Badulla and Moneragala districts in the Uva province have been favourite locations for tourists for several years due to the beautiful waterfalls, lakes, spice cultivation, tea estates and mountains for hiking.

‘Tourism has been flourishing in the province due to the salubrious climate that most tourists around the world prefer.

Tourists from the Middle East and other countries with hot weather prefer to visit the province”, he said.

The Ravana Ella, Dunhinda, Diyaluma waterfalls and the Loggal Oya and Handapanagala lakes are considered as some of the best locations to promote tourism.

The Dunhinda waterfall is considered the most beautiful waterfall in the country and it is also a place where most tourists throng.

He said besides the attractive surroundings and the exotic climate, the people in the area are friendly and hospitable.

The simplicity and hard working nature of the people are admired by tourists. Residents are conscious of their surroundings and would like to see that the beauty of the environment is preserved.

“Steps to develop the infrastructure and promote the locations will bring about a significant improvement in tourism from what it is today.

The roads, transportation, drainage, electrification, hospitals, hotels and lodges need improvement badly”, Wattuhewa said.

The prime locations in the province should be included in the tourism map.Only certain places have been included in the map while important places have been ignored. Promoting some of the best spots in the Uva province at international travel fairs will help to woo more tourists to the country.

He said the chamber has formed a tourism cluster to help hotels and lodges in the province to improve their services and facilities. The chamber has undertaken to train hoteliers under the program titled ‘Nucleus’.

“The Chamber has been helping industries, enhancing the tourism and the service sector in the province since it was set up 10 years ago. Self-employment schemes on horticulture, beauticulture, light engineering and food processing are some of the service sector development activities undertaken by the chamber”, he said.

The Uva province is known for spices, fruits and fresh vegetables.

The country is well known for exporting some of the best spices but today the farmers are facing problems due to the waste caused by poor packaging and transportation. The post harvest loss is around 40 per cent.

“The chamber is conducting programs to help farmers to minimise losses and adopt a better packaging system which will help them to fetch a better price. Green house cultivation to protect floral and vegetable cultivations from adverse weather conditions, diseases and insects has been introduced”, he said.

Walkers Tours partner Ke Adventure Travel

KE Adventure Travel, a British partner of Nature Odyssey (the adventure travel arm of Walkers Tours), was rated “Best Trekking Operator on Earth” by the prestigious National Geographic Adventure magazine, which recently carried out the world’s first study of over 200 adventure travel operators in their search for the best.

The study focused on which operators teach their clients about the places they visit, who pushes the frontiers of discovery and adventure and who gives back to the planet through travel.

They also surveyed on interpretation, sustainability, quality of service and the spirit of adventure.

After six months of intense and exhaustive scrutiny, KE Adventure Travel was named the Best Trekking Outfitter on Earth.

KE excelled in every area, even scoring a perfect 100 in the ‘Spirit of Adventure’ category.

KE Adventure, together with Walkers Tours and Nature Odyssey, features Sri Lanka’s programs in their Adventure, Family and Schools brochures. The Adventure brochure carries a high adrenaline, cutting-edge program, including several treks through uncharted and pristine regions.

The family program is a kaleidoscope of soft adventure and direct contact with local people and culture and promises an enriching experience and unforgettable memories.

The school’s program, which is designed to be an educational summer trip for an entire class, features a great introduction to non-touristic Sri Lanka including a two-night camp at a remote village where the group will work directly on a community development project, funded by KE Adventure Travel.

There has been an encouraging rise in the number of travellers of this calibre visiting Sri Lanka over recent years, bringing about renewed belief in the ability to showcase the island as having more on offer beyond the widely-associated golden, palm-fringed beaches.

SriLankan trains 42 more Aircraft Engineers and Technicians

SriLankan Airlines recently completed comprehensive training programs for 35 aircraft Technicians and seven Aircraft Engineers, in its continuing efforts to provide opportunities for young men and women to embark upon rewarding careers as professionals in the international aviation industry.

Two Sri Lankan women students and seven foreign students - five from the Maldives, and one each from Oman and India - were among those who successfully completed the two-year Basic Course in Aircraft Maintenance.

One young woman, a Sri Lankan, was among those in the Aircraft Engineering program which is also a two-year program. SriLankan Technical Training is one of the few companies in Asia to hold the globally recognised EASA 147 certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), to provide training in Aircraft Maintenance to foreign and local students.