Travel

Thilanka Resorts offer something different

by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

The tourism industry is gearing for a fresh start after the emergence of a positive atmosphere in the country that has brought back confidence among tourists who keep airing in large numbers to spend the cold season here.

Visitors who flocked at some of the historic and religious sites in the Central Hills were free and relaxed and keen to visit new places to make their holiday a unique experience.

General Manager, Thilanka Hotel and Resorts, Kandy, Anil Perera said the tourism industry is once again on track and this winter is expected to be the best so far with hotel occupancy rates zooming.

"Our hotel will go for a new look at a cost of Rs. 100 million to offer something out of the ordinary to guests in the calm ambience of the highlands", he said.

A section was refurbished to target upmarket travel segment. The new look resort will help meet requirements of the discerning traveller and provide a fun-filled holiday, in a plush and green environment.

The hotel overlooking the Sacred Temple of the Tooth and the Kandy lake surrounded by a range of mountains is a much sought after location for eco-friendly and adventure tourists.

Kandy has been the preferred destination for religious and cultural tourism.The salubrious climate adds to the choice of the visitors.

The hoteliers in Kandy have said that there was a marked increase in the number of tourists during this year's perahera which indicated positive sign for the tourism sector.

Milan to Colombo direct on SriLankan Airlines

SriLankan Airlines will launch a twice-weekly direct service from Milan to Colombo on December 16, to enhance Italian tourism in Sri Lanka and serve the sizable Sri Lankan community in northern Italy.

The new service will support the efforts of the government to encourage Sri Lankan expatriates residing overseas to visit their native land following the dawn of peace. Apart from northern Italy, it will also serve travellers in neighbouring regions such as the south of France and southern Switzerland.

Chairman of SriLankan, Nishanta Wickremasinghe, said: "SriLankan Airlines firmly believes that its responsibilities as the National Carrier are of paramount importance, and we are launching this service after considering the requests of the Sri Lankan community in the region, and carefully studying the tourism potential as well."

Milan is Italy's second largest city with its metropolitan area having a population of 7.4 million. It is considered one of the major financial centres in Europe.

The National Carrier launched services to Rome last December, which serves the southern and central regions of Italy, and will continue to fly twice-weekly to the Italian capital.

Major tourism markets, including those in Europe, are expected to relax their travel advisories on Sri Lanka following the dawn of peace, and the National Carrier is supporting efforts to enhance awareness of Sri Lanka as a destination of choice through a number of marketing campaigns.

SriLankan is also working hand in hand with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau and the country's travel industry.

The Milan service will also offer one-stop flights via Colombo to such popular Far Eastern destinations as Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Beijing, plus six cities in India, and also the Maldives which is a favourite holiday destination of Italian tourists. With the addition of Milan, SriLankan will expand its route network to 44 destinations in 29 countries across Europe, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, the Far East, and North America. SriLankan briefly served Milan in 2000/2001.

Despite the worldwide slowdown in air travel due to the global economic meltdown, SriLankan is continuing to strengthen its route network by launching services to selected destinations, and by strengthening its codeshare network with partner airlines.

Just two months ago SriLankan expanded its network to Los Angeles, Sydney, Melbourne, Jakarta, and Seoul through an enhanced partnership with Malaysia Airlines. Last October, SriLankan expanded its partnership with Etihad to cover Geneva, Dublin, Munich, Brussels, Manchester, and Amman.

The Milan flights, on modern Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, will operate on Wednesday and Saturday. Wednesday's flight UL565 will operate on the route Colombo-Paris-Milan-Colombo, while Saturday's flight UL 555 will fly Colombo-Frankfurt-Milan-Colombo.

KumbukRiver props up Lanka yet again!:

The jewel of Sri Lankan tourism KumbukRiver yet again led the island's forays on the global stage when the World Travel Awards shortlisted it for the third consecutive year among international eco resorts vying for the top slot as the world's best.

KumbukRiver put Sri Lanka on the global map when it won the travel Oscar as the world's leading eco-lodge last year, the only Sri Lankan destination to have emerged among the world's best tourism brands.

A fourteen-acre luxury getaway nestled on the banks of Kumbukkan Oya in the gem-rich Okkampitiya, KumbukRiver redefines the concept of eco-tourism in Sri Lanka. Situated on the edge of Yala wildlife sanctuary this eco resort has emerged as the watchdog of the area's immense bio-diversity. KumbukRiver features an elephant-shaped two-storeyed eco villa rising to a height of over 40ft, making it probably the world's largest elephant-shaped structure.

The eco villa is testimony to indigenous craftsmanship and engineering and offers a luxurious setting conforming to the concept of sustainable eco tourism. The Villa is complimented by a chalet, once again showcasing creativity that brings visitors to be at one with nature. Despite its vastness only two acres have been deployed for construction within which visitors find comfort and awe as they experience a holiday to be etched in memory.

KumbukRiver usually accommodates only upto 12 people in a single party despite superior infrastructure but due to numerous requests from local visitors allows larger group who prefers a more familiar setting.

KumbukRiver has emerged as the Sri Lankan destination to have attracted most international attention. In addition to being crowned by the world travel awards, KumbukRiver has also been named by the prestigious Times-Online to be among the world's 50 best green places and by the leading travel authority Rough Guides to be among the world's 500 innovative discoveries in tourism. KumbukRiver continues to be featured in many international publications leading Sri Lanka's charge as attempts to prop the country as a leading destination. The resort's website www.kumbukriver.com continues to draw international traffic.

This unique tourism brand was masterminded by the maverick brand agency The 7th Frontier, showcasing its ability to bring up an international brand even from off the beaten-track of Sri Lanka.

We set out to create a role-model in pushing brand Sri Lanka in the right direction and we are humbled by the international accolades. We would also like to see urban Sri Lankan families taking the initiative to see what their country has to offer outside the beaches and mountains and see life in a new light, says Dinesh Watawana whose young team is involved in re-energizing Sri Lankan brands.