Luxury yacht service from November

by Shirajiv Sirimane

Sri Lanka would be purchasing four luxury yachts from overseas to introduce a luxury passenger yacht service.

Deputy Minister of Ports and Aviation, Dayasritha Tissera told the Sunday Observer that they hope to launch this service by the end of November. Negotiations are in progress to purchase these yachts from a neighbouring country,” he said.

The Deputy Minister said though Sri Lanka is an island, security restrictions had hither to prevented the launch of services of this nature. “However, after the end of the war, new vistas have opened up in the maritime sector and this is only one such development which would benefit Sri Lankans as well as foreigners,” he said.

Tissera said that each yacht would have around four to six cabins and would accommodate around 20 groups. “We are requesting the public to patronise these luxury boat safaris rather than just spending money on weekend stays in hotels,” the Minister said.

The yachts would sail from both Galle and Colombo harbours and special arrangements would be made to facilitate entrance for passengers. “There would be no red tape at the gate for the passengers,” he said.

The Ministry would also introduce a sea passenger service from Colombo to Trincomalee by the end of this year. “This would be extended to Kankesanturai and Galle in the future.”

He disclosed that plans are under way to launch the Colombo Tuiticorin (India) passenger service once again. “We are now looking at investors who would be interested in this service,” he said.