Colombo city gearing for tourist influx

Making Sri Lanka the wonder of Asia

By Shirajiv SIRIMANE

The Colombo city skyline is fast changing with tourism and city development playing a lead role in taking the country towards becoming the wonder of Asia. Sri Lanka is taking a leaf from development in Dubai, Singapore and some other countries which developed in the last three decades.

Slums and pavement hawkers are becoming things of the past as they are being cleared and given quality alternative houses and areas, way beyond their dreams.

A new city is to be built in the Galle Face area adjoining the new Colombo South harbour reclaiming land from the sea, similar to the artificially created Palm Islands in Dubai.

The Palm Islands in the Persian Gulf will add 520 kilometres of beaches to the city of Dubai with each island built in the shape of a palm tree, topped with a crescent, having a large number of residential, leisure and entertainment centres.

The first two islands will comprise around 100 million cubic metres of rock and sand and there will be over 100 luxury hotels, exclusive residential beach side villas and apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities and health spas.

Sri Lanka will follow this model and is planning to have nearly 400 acres of reclaimed land which in turn would be offered to the leisure sector and property developers to construct mixed development projects. Global entertainment companies are expected to setup theme parks, night entertainment and many other recreation facilities.

Entertainment seekers

Tourists in nearby star class hotels could use these facilities and this project is expected to attract a new breed of entertainment seekers especially from the neighbouring countries.

Singapore, another country to follow Dubai, recently opened their second casino resort with a massive $5.7 billion investment via an American entrepreneur. The new city in Marina Bay in addition to Casinos would also offer 2,500 five star hotel rooms, a shopping mall and convention centre, The world's first SkyPark connecting the tops of three 55-story hotel towers and a theatre and a museum would be opened by the end of the year.

Analysts say that the casinos will generate an income of as much as $3.5 billion next year and provide employment to over 30,000 people. The venue is set to be a second Las Vegas.

Singaporean authorities have taken great pains to restrict their nationals from patronising casinos. High entrance fees are charged from Singapore nationals and its government has even gone to the extent of denying entry into casinos to those who have family problems created due to using casinos.

"The casinos are meant to generate foreign exchange from tourists and it's not for Singaporeans," said M. Patrick, a tour guide from Singapore.

A leading leisure sector entrepreneur and Managing Director, of the newly opened Sun Hill Hotel Bambalapitiya, Surendra Vasantha Perera said that night life is picking up in Colombo and this would help to bring in a new breed of high spending tourists. Prerea who also operates Vinter Palace, Pier Three, Lush night clubs and other enterprises in Colombo and Katunayake said that in Sri Lanka a casino license costs around Rs. 50 million. German and British nationals have already planed for the casinos to be set up in the D. R. Wijewardane Mawatha area bringing in valuable foreign exchange to the country.

Perera said that expecting the tourism boom that will be created due to these developments he sold out his property in Mount Lavinia and invested in Sun Hill Hotel at Bambalapitiya.

Relocating and providing quality alternative housing is one of the priorities of the Government for people occupying houses illegally, especially in and around the Slave Island areas.

Slums to disappear

Deputy Project Director, Urban Development Authority, H. A. Dayananda said that under the directions of their new Chairman, Janaka kurukulasuriya a massive development plan is unfolding for the Slave Island area. "The slums in the area are being cleared and the dwellers will be provided alternative houses in Dematagoda," he said.

These slum dwellers stayed in small huts sharing one make shift bathroom, kitchen and a water tap with three or four other families. "The 320 new houses provided for them have two rooms, a verandah, a toilet and a separate kitchen with electricity and water.

He said 1,000 houses were being built at Dematagoda to relocate people now in temporary shelters.

After clearing the Slave Island area from the back of the Air Force grounds up to Beira Lake, this area would be given to both local and international companies for high rise buildings and for other recreation facilities. "A walk way for the public too would be built and several super markets, way side food outlets and other forms of entertainment activities would be put into place by both the Government and the private sector," he said.

This area would have access to both the Millennium Park and the Beira Lake which will make it one huge entertainment park with the Lake having floating restaurants and other activities. The island in Beira Lake would be revamped where people could host functions.

The D. R. Wijewardane Mawatha area would be converted to a more up market tourism area and all the warehouses adjoining the Convention Centre are to be relocated. "Beira Lake would be opened up for water sports and soon people would see water jets, banana boats and pontoons with heaps of locals and foreigners using them," he said.

The Maradana/ Panchikawatte area too is under the focus of development with people living in slums to be relocated to condominiums. "We have identified a property in the area to build a 13 storied housing complex to house these unauthorised residents living in highly unhygienic and unhealthy conditions," he said.

He said that they would not relocate these slum dwellers until such time the housing complex is completed.

The new Art Centre coming up in Town Hall with the assistance of the Chinese Government, the refurbishment of the country's oldest art centre the Tower Hall, and opening of the Galle Face area and Nawam Mawatha areas to the public will enable people to relax in a free and welcome atmosphere.

Havelock City is the largest residential and commercial development project presently undertaken in Sri Lanka by the private sector, adding more colour and dignity to the city of Colombo.

This will be linked to waterways with tenders already called to start boat services.

Govt. offices to move out

One of the other key developments undertaken by the UDA is the new office complex they are building in Battaramulla. "Our prime objective of this 13 door complex project is to enable government institutions located in the commercial city of Colombo to move to this complex in Sethsiripaya so that people would not have to run everywhere to get their work done," he said.

In addition this move will save millions to the government by way of rentals that are being paid to the private sector as rent.

The Colombo Katunayake Highway starting from Peliyagoda and now nearing completion would provide a vital link to the proposed development taking place in the city. Project Director M.P.K.L. Gunaratne told the Sunday Observer that the travel time from Peliyagoda to the airport would be reduced to 20 minutes as against over one hour it takes at present.

"This will be the icing on the cake for the development of Colombo City and one of the most important components in making Sri Lanka the wonder of Asia.