Travel

Sri Lanka bags Global Best Service award

Aitken Spence Travels and the TUI Service Team were recognised by TUI for overall service performance to its guests during Winter 2008/09 season, by winning the third place globally among small destinations.

MD, Aitken Spence Travels, Gehan Perera, Director, Aitken Spence Travels Niranjan Rodrigo, Senior Product Manager, Sri Lanka, Ms. Christiane Thoma-Ratnasiri, Resident Manager, Sri Lanka, Roger Zerter, TUI Service Team in Sri Lanka and COO, Aitken Spence Travels, Ravi Subramaniam.

TUI is the world's largest integrated tourism group with a commanding presence in virtually all international tourism destinations. TUI has been represented in Sri Lanka by the country's largest inbound tourism operator Aitken Spence Travels for over three decades. All TUI destinations are divided into large/medium/small categories based on arrival figures. The first place was won by Bali in Indonesia and the second place to the Spanish Canary island of La Palma.

Feedback is received through a comprehensive questionnaire that covers the service of the travel agency, the travel experience, hotel service, service of beach representatives and airport staff, transfer, excursions and information material in the destination. A minimum of 55 guest questionnaires must be received from a destination to qualify for the award. Given the integrity of this global award, I congratulate Aitken Spence Travels and the TUI service team in Sri Lanka for their exemplary commitment to service which has been recognised said, Roger Zerter, TUI's Resident Manager in Sri Lanka.

This is a momentous achievement not only for Aitken Spence Travels and the TUI service team, but also for Sri Lanka, at a time where we seek to lure tourists to our shores as we walk out of the shadow of decades of conflict, said Gehan Perera, Managing Director of Aitken Spence Travels.

In 2006-07, TUI's local partners Aitken Spence Travels were awarded the best upcoming destination title by TUI.

Aitken Spence Travels, a joint venture between Aitken Spence plc and TUI plc is the reigning Presidential Award Winner for the Best Inbound Tour Operator in Sri Lanka.

The award was received by Aitken Spence Travels and the TUI service team in Sri Lanka.

TUI Holly award for Lanka princess

Lanka Princess won the TUI Holly Award for Best Long Haul Destination; on being chosen as the number one location amongst all its long haul destination hotels worldwide for 2009. Lanka Princess was always within the top 100 and most often among the best 10 hotels worldwide in the TUI Holly ranking for the last nine years.

The rankings are based on responses received from TUI clients, who rate the hotels they stay at on the basis of the level of satisfaction in terms of service, the standard of the hotel, the quality of the food and beverage, as well as the location of the hotel.

"For a hotel which has been in operation for barely 12 years, accomplishing such a feat in terms of the consistency and excellence in its service is truly a noteworthy achievement.

Lanka Princess has proven that Sri Lanka's tourism product, especially in terms of service, can compete with any other country in the world" said Resident Manager for TUI in Sri Lanka Roger Zerter. Aitken Spence Travels and the TUI Service Team in the country, were placed third, in a global ranking for overall service performance from small destinations, conducted by TUI worldwide for Winter 2008/09 season.

TUI is the world's largest integrated tourism group with a commanding presence in virtually all international tourism destinations. TUI has been represented in Sri Lanka by the country's largest inbound tourism operator Aitken Spence Travels for over three decades.

All TUI destinations are divided into large/medium/small categories based on arrival figures.

The first place was won by Bali in Indonesia and the second place went to the Spanish Canary island of La Palma. Presented annually since 2001, the awards are based on guest feedback sent directly to TUI office in Switzerland from destinations worldwide.

Palm Beach Hotel to entice guests with new look

Text & Pic. Beverley Jansz

The Palm Beach Hotel, Mt. Lavinia has been given a face-lift, with a massive refurbishment. It now stands as a deluxe, semi boutique type new city resort, surrounded by a lush tropical garden within walking distance to the shopping area and in close proximity to the Colombo City, the zoo, the domestic airport in Ratmalana and the historic Bellanwila Temple and the Bolgoda Lake. The discerning international and corporate travellers find the resort, comprehensively endowed for leisure and business, believes the youthful General Manager, Ravin Gunawardena. The hotel offers 46 deluxe rooms which have been given a star class glossy finish with the refurbishment. 'The Mirrors' night club will be relaunched on October 10, with modern features, the new Operations Manager, Patrick Phillips said. It will be one of the best night clubs in Mt. Lavinia, he said. Patrick who is also an experienced Executive Chef has introduced a new menu which is popular not only among foreign tourists but also among Sri Lankans.

A Sunday lunch buffet with calypso music and pool facilities will be introduced shortly. The hotel has a large and beautiful swimming pool. The 'Atrium' main restaurant offers the best in International and Sri Lankan cuisine. A 24-hour room service has been introduced. The hotel offers a selection of three elegant banquet halls, ideal for weddings, conferences and special events.

The menus comprise local, Asian, Western, and Eastern favourites. The hotel also offers jazuzzi, ayurveda, fitness and a health centre.

Tourism Day to dawn along Marine Drive

The Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and other stakeholders has organised a series of events to mark this year's World Tourism Day which falls today.

The theme of this year's celebration is 'Tourism celebrating Diversity'.

The main celebration will be held along the Marine Drive in Bambalapitiya with planting of over 100 palm and Kottamba saplings, followed by cleaning and tree planting along Mt. Lavinia beach.

Director (Marketing), Tourism Development Board, Malraj Kiriella said for the first time a foster guidance scheme comprising vendors, residents and schools along Marine Drive will be set up to take future care of the plants.

A painting competition on the theme 'Keep the environment Pleasant' will be held with participation of 22 schools.

A tourism-friendly `tuk-tuk' program will be launched to introduce metered taxies with accepted tourism standards for the benefit of foreign tourists.

The week will conclude on October 3.

The tourism industry buoyed with the increase in the number of tourist arrivals, following the stability in the country.The number of visitors rose to 41,207 in August recording the highest among the months for the year. (LF)

German TV promotes Lanka as green destination

The German ARTE TV describes Sri Lanka's greenness in a 43 minute documentary titled 'The Emerald Isle emphasising Sri Lanka as a green holiday destination showcasing its myriad tourism offer and as the world's emerging leader in eco-tourism.

Sri Lanka is featured as going beyond the island offer of Sea, Sun and Sand and takes the concept to the interior of the country; a salubrious green landscape with mountain ranges, waterfalls, plantations, national parks and the conservation parks.

Directed by Pascal Sarragot and filmed by Salvatore Guadagnino, who travelled in Sri Lanka with the TV-team crew in January 2008, this documentary is a window to the vast tourism offer and gives the viewer a fair description of what can be expected on arrival. A highlight of the film is the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage; its unique shelter for elephants, chosen to exemplify Sri Lanka's trail blazing efforts in conservation.

Other destinations featured are Seychelles, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Oman. The Director's focus was in find locations where man and nature live in harmony and people conscious of preserving the natural environment and promoting them as attractions for tourism.

RTP vie for prestigious award

The Responsible Tourism Partnership of Sri Lanka (RTP) is among the seven finalists who vie for the prestigious World's Leading Responsible Tourism Scheme at the World Travel Awards to be made known in London on November 8. RTP is a non-profit foundation which implements practical sustainable tourism initiatives with one of its objectives being the contribution to the economic well-being of the communities where tourists visit, with a particular emphasis on skills development in indigenous crafts. The Dickwella Lace Crafts Centre deserves a visit by any discerning and socially conscious traveller.

Airline Ticketing Academy awards ceremony

Airline Academy held its Award Ceremony at Grand Oriental Hotel recently. Here a participant receiving an award from the Chief Guest, General Manager - Air Arabia, Ramly Vilcassim, International Travel Consultant and Airline Professional Instructor, Deepal Perera, who conducted the course is also seen.

Broadband Conference and Expo

The second South Asia Broadband Conference and Expo will be held at the Hilton Colombo, from October 6-7. This conference offers a unique opportunity to learn the latest technology developments from the leading techno-marketing experts, as well as service and infrastructure deployment experience from the representatives of regional telecom operators and service providers. Resource persons at the highest levels in the Telecommunications industry will participate and sessions on, Broadband Access Network Infrastructure Solutions, Next Generation Network Architectures for the Converged Services, Wireless Broadband Deployment in South Asia, Ethernet Business Services with Dynamic QOS & Robust SLA's will take place.