Plans in place to achieve tourism target
by L. S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI
The Secretary to the Tourism Ministry, George Michael said the
Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism 2009, the highest accolade
for individuals and organisations in the industry, will be held in
Colombo next February.
All leading stakeholders of the industry in Sri Lanka and foreign
delegates will grace the mega event.
He said the target of 2.5 million tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka by
2016, set by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, can be achieved and all plans
to reach that target were in place now.
The Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism, organised by the
Ministry of Tourism in association with Sri Lanka Tourism, is to
recognise and reward excellence among industry stakeholders and to
encourage and ensure the sustainable development of the tourism industry
in the country.
Consultant - CEO, Travel and Tourism Awards, Nalin Attygalle said the
Executive Committee of the Tourism Awards Council had received 105
nominations by the due date of November 6.
All leading organisations in the travel and tourism industry had
submitted their nominations for awards. It was a noteworthy sign,
marking the bright future of the industry, he said.
He said the panel of judges which has considerable knowledge and
experience on the tourism and travel industry, has carefully studied the
nominations. They will make site visits too, he added.
He said there were 11 award categories including General awards,
Tourist Hotels - star classified and other, Travel and Tourism Operator,
Airline niche operations - Eco Tourism, Ayurveda Tourism, Adventure
Tourism, Mice Tourism, professional conference organisers and
Professional Exhibition Organisers, marketing Communications Provincial
Tourism Project and excellence in Service.
The annual awards for travel and tourism is a tribute to those who
have excelled in the field in Sri Lanka. The awards are acknowledged as
the highest accolade for individuals and organisations whose outstanding
contribution plays a significant role in ensuring the success of Sri
Lanka's tourism industry, he said.
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