Travel

Tourism industry poised to accept mega challenges

The tourism industry will be the third largest foreign exchange earner with a US$ 2.5 billion net earning by 2016, said Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Bernard Goonetileke.

He said Sri Lanka has all the attributes to be the leading destination for tourism in the region. The sun, sea, sand and now safety will help revive tourism that was hampered for over three decades. The Chairman was addressing a ceremony to launch the 'Visit Sri Lanka 2011' global communication campaign at the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourist Hotel Management, Galle Face.

Sri Lankan tourism has been given a tough challenge to attract 2.5 million tourists by 2016. SLTPB is making arrangements to promote the destination with a series of events in the pipeline for next year. The Buddha Jayanthi ceremony, the Cricket World Cup, Galle Film Festival, the Tea Festival, Tuk Tuk campaign, Trincomalee Beach Festival and the Arugambay festival are some of the mega events in the tourism calendar next year.

President, Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, Srilal Miththapala said the industry needs around 36,000 hotel rooms to develop tourism. Currently there are around 14,000 rooms.

"The government has pledged support for the tourism industry by giving Duty free facilities for two years to refurbish properties.

The industry is confident of a quick revival with the strengthening of the private public partnership", he said.

Minister of Tourism Promotion Faizer Musthapa said the tourism tagline was changed to launch a fresh campaign and added that there was no waste of public funds.

The Minister acknowledged the needs to accelerate infrastructure development for the industry to achieve the target of 2016.

The new communication strategy encompasses Television as a primary medium to communicate with potential tourists and lure them to Sri Lanka in 2011.

The channels that will air the campaign include BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN and Discovery Travel and Living. Tourist arrival figures have shown a month to month growth following the battle victory in May this year. Tourist arrivals recorded a 28 percent growth since September.

LF

A Pre-Xmas break with SriLankan Holidays

Want to beat the Christmas rush and take off on a holiday ? Go ahead and choose from to any of eight Asian destinations on the exciting SriLankan Holidays - FlySmiLes Redemption Promotion.

Catch any flight to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Delhi, Madras, Bangalore, or, selected flights to Bangkok and the Maldives from now on until 30 November and get away from the hum-drum and monotony of the daily grind.

If you are a FlySmiLes Member, you can even redeem some of those idling miles as part payment of the package.

General Manager SriLankan Holidays Amith Sumanapala said, "This special promotion is a SriLankan Holidays / FlySmiles pre-Christmas initiative to reward our loyal customer base for travelling SriLankan Airlines throughout the year.

This is our special way of saying thank you and rewarding our members during the festive season".

These special pre-Xmas SriLankan Holidays packages consist of return airfare inclusive of all taxes, hotel accommodation for two nights with breakfast, return airport transfers at destination.

"We are conscious of the fact that there are a large number of Sri Lankans who wish to spend Christmas with family and friends at home.

These pre-Christmas packages are to give them the opportunity of enjoying a well-earned and well-deserved break, and yet heading home for Christmas", Sumanapala added.

Well ... all yours to choose from Madras (Rs.8,999), Bangalore (Rs.12,999), Delhi (Rs.14,999), Mumbai (Rs. 22,999) Kuala Lumpur (Rs.17,999), Bangkok (Rs.20,999), Singapore (Rs.21,999), or the Maldives (Rs. 24,999).

"Added to this is of course is the fact that we're living up to our reputation as being a unique one-stop-shop offering the most competitive rates and providing the total solution to our clientele.

Having won the plaudit of Best Outbound Tour Operator at the Presidential Awards for Travel & Tourism, SriLankan Holidays today enjoys the enviable reputation as being one of the most dynamic inbound and outbound tour operators in Sri Lanka", he said.

More tourists from Middle East

With the dawn of peace to our motherland, "Luxury Holiday Travel Pvt Ltd" is geared to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination along with our Middle East travel entities. We will be highlighting the effective eradication of terrorism which has been a key drawback in developing the country as a tourist destination during the last 25 years, said a spokesman of the company.

Luxury Holiday Travel Pvt Ltd is a Middle East based travel company.

The objective of its exercise is to create a single core idea that can change Middle Eastern countries perception of Sri Lanka. And give them the correct picture in every possible medium to establish an integrated marketing communication approach.

Our partners are showing interest to promote Sri Lanka as their preferred destination and to increase traffic from Jordan, Lebanon and Kuwait respectively.

Head of Kuwait Holidays Khalaf Al Mane visited Sri Lanka to see the possibility of increasing tourists from the Middle East. He along with him 10 members Journalists from Kuwait were in Sri Lanka from October 15 to October 19.

Dedigama Group enters hospitality industry

Text and Pic by Beverley JANSZ

One of Sri Lanka's leading jewellers, gem merchants and pawning brokers Dedigama Group, Maharagama has entered the hospitality industry with the outright purchase of Comaran Beach Hotel, Unawatuna.

This luxury boutique type beach hotel has 15 guest rooms, with one luxury site. 'We are building 10 more guest rooms with all modern facilities and a beautiful swimming pool which will be ready by end December this year', Chairman, Managing Director, Dedigama Group, Ranjan Dedigama said. An experienced hotelier, Lal Jayasinghe who has over 16 years of experience been appointed as the new General Manager.

The hotel industry has begun to bloom and more and more tourists are coming to Sri Lanka. That is why we embarked on the hotel industry, Ranjan Dedigama said.

Very soon we will make Comaran Beach hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels in Unawatuna, named as one of the best beaches in the world, Chairman/Managing Director, Dedigama Group, Ranjan Dedigama said.

He said, that special discounted rates are being offered to Sri Lankan families, so that they could spend a memorable holiday at Unawatuna.

Bonanza from Emirates

First and Business Class passengers flying Emirates to 58 destinations around the world are now eligible for free accommodation in selected hotels of the Starwood Hotel and Resorts Group.

First Class passengers with the award-winning Dubai-based airline can avail themselves of two nights complimentary stay while Business Class passengers can enjoy one night's free stay when transiting in Dubai or at any one of the destinations covered by this amazing new offer. The offer includes Single or Double rooms and all taxes and service charges. One child below 12 years of age can share accommodation with parents in the same room with existing bedding.

This latest accommodation offer further enhances the value of travelling with Emirates, said Devika Ellepola, Emirates' Sales Manager in Sri Lanka. This represents a huge expansion of previous free accommodation offers, as it is available at 58 destinations in more than 30 countries. Among the popular destinations at which this offer is available are Sydney, Beijing, London, Paris, New York, Houston, Cape Town, Tokyo, Venice, Sao Paulo, Hamburg and Frankfurt.