Travel

Sri Lankan Tourism geared to meet targets

by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

Tourism is poised to be the leading foreign exchange earner in the country due to the influx of tourist arrivals, said a spokesman for the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

Nalaka Godahewa

Tourists on a boat ride

Tourist arrivals recorded a 48 percent growth during the first six months of this year compared to the sluggish growth in 2009 which was marred by the world economic crisis.

Chairman, SLTDA, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa said that Sri Lanka Tourism is well geared to meet the 2.5 million tourist arrivals within the next five years.

"The SLTDA expects around 600,000 visitors to the country by the end of the year reaching a milestone in tourism", he said. The number of tourist arrivals last year was 447,000 while the target was to attract 600,000 visitors. Dr. Godahewa said that a project to build 30,000 hotel rooms within the next five years has been launched under the tourism development program to meet the 2.5 million tourist arrival target by 2016. He said 13 hotels are being constructed in the Pasikudah tourism development zone which will cater to 1,000 rooms needed to the area. "Tourists thronged the East coast for its serene and attractive beaches popular for whale-watching and wind surfing", Dr. Godahewa said.

"The SLTDA is about to develop 500 acres in Kuchchaveli as a tourism development zone. A study has been competed to identify potential tourism development zones in the North and the East" he said.

Two islands in Kalpitiya have been leased out to construct 450 hotel rooms within the next two years.Twelve islands will be leased in Kalpitiya which will be developed as a top end tourist zone on par with the Maldives.

Mini vacation ideas for families

Mini vacations for families should be properly planned to appease everyone's desire to relax and rejuvenate. Choose destinations that offer activities for every age group.

Amusement or theme parks

One of the best mini vacations for kids is a visit to a theme park. Children love visiting an amusement park or water park and enjoy the rides there.

There are also many joy rides that are enjoyed by adults as well. This is one of the best ideas for mini vacations for families that will be memorable.

Beaches

An exotic resort on the beach with a full view of the sunset and sunrise will be an ideal beach vacation. There also really affordable cottages with good amenities for the entire family. You can book a beach resort for the weekend or 3 to 4 days and enjoy the alluring beauty and fresh breeze.

Camping

Going to a forest surrounded by beautiful scenery is a good option for fun weekend getaways. Pitch a tent amidst the trees and enjoy nature in its pristine form. Kids will definitely enjoy camping as it gives them a chance to be brave and explore the forest. You can also play many games where you have set up the tent. Make sure that you have all the necessary items packed in your backpack. For more convenience, you can stay at a motel that also arranges tours in the forest.

Hill stations

Another excellent destination to enjoy the immaculate beauty of nature is a visit to a hill station. Going to a hill station is a great family vacation which offers a lot of excitement.

Book a room in the motel or a cottage and live near the snow clad mountains and glittering streams. Some hill station resorts also offer adventure sports like trekking, river rafting and even bungee jumping. This is one activity that kids are sure to enjoy.

National parks or wild life sdanctuaries

What better idea for a mini vacation for the family than visiting a wild life sanctuary, especially during the summer vacation? Kids are sure to enjoy this weekend vacation and boast about it to their friends after they get back to school.

Watching animals at close quarters in their natural habitat can be an exhilarating experience both for the parents and kids. Many national parks organize wild life safaris that enable the tourists to see the animals roaming around freely and undisturbed. For children, it will be a learning experience altogether as they get to see some exotic species of birds and animals in their natural home.

Here were some ideas for mini vacations for families. Going for a vacation with the family is not only an enjoyable occasion but it will also help in building togetherness and loving, unforgettable memories. Don't forget to carry a handycam or a digital camera to freeze these wonderful moments for eternity. Have fun!

Emirates A380 network expands

Emirates, the world's largest operator of the Airbus A380, has announced Hong Kong as the newest destination for its super-jumbo.

Emirates has a total of 12 A380s in service with 78 on order and Hong Kong will become the Dubai-based global airline's 11th A380 destination.

Starting October 1, Emirates A380 will operate daily from Dubai as EK384 via Bangkok with the return flight operating as EK385.

Emirates' Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East and Australasia, Richard Jewsbury said: "We are very excited to announce Hong Kong as a new Emirates A380 destination.

This commercially vibrant metropolis became part of Emirates' ever expanding network back in 1991, and today we operate a double-daily service between Hong Kong and Dubai, one non-stop and one flight via Bangkok. We also operate 18 weekly Emirates SkyCargo freighter services.

We are proud to be able to demonstrate our commitment to Hong Kong by putting our flagship aircraft on this route. Our passengers from Hong Kong now have the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful service and comforts available on this aircraft and our passengers from Thailand will have the option of flying the A380 to either Dubai or Hong Kong."

Emirates luxurious A380 products include two onboard shower spas in the First Class cabin, featuring signature amenities by the airline's premium spa brand, Timeless Spa. For First and Business Class passengers the onboard lounge is the social highlight, featuring a fully stocked bar and a selection of hot and cold canapes. Flat-bed massage-equipped private suites await passengers in First Class, while in Business Class there is a new generation of all-aisle flat-bed seats. Those travelling on the main deck in Economy Class can stretch out in seats with a pitch of up to 33 inches.

In all classes, there is mood-lighting and ice, the award-winning, in-flight entertainment system featuring over 1200 channels of on-demand entertainment, including movies and music in Thai and Cantonese.

All Nippon Airways becomes Japan's top carrier

Japan's All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA) became the nation's top air carrier in June, dethroning flagship carrier Japan Airlines Corp. (JAL) on passenger volume and cargo, the Nikkei reported Thursday. ANA's passenger figures for both domestic and international flights in June reached 3.65 million, up 10 percent from a year ago, the business daily said.

JAL, going through a court-led restructuring process after filing for a bankruptcy protection, carried 3.55 million passengers in the month, marking a one-percent decline on-year, according to the Nikkei.

ANA logged 30-percent growth in international travellers, the newspaper said.

Meanwhile, JAL continued to reduce flights and withdrew from unpopular routes. Its domestic passengers fell three percent and international passengers increased just six percent, the newspaper said. Factors related to its bankruptcy such as its tainted corporate image and the end of shareholder perks apparently drove customers away, the Nikkei said.

The carrier is due to submit a finalised turnaround plan to the Tokyo District Court at the end of this month. (AFP)

Australia's Virgin Blue returns to profit

Australian budget airline Virgin Blue reported a return to profit Thursday, reversing a 160 million dollar (140 million US) loss to net profit of 21 million, but warned of ongoing volatility.

The no-frills carrier slashed its earnings outlook in half in late May to between 20 and 40 million dollars, following renewed economic turbulence and a slump in consumer confidence.

Virgin said the Asia-Pacific region showed its first signs of recovery in the three months to June, offsetting poor market conditions in the preceding three quarters, but warned that conditions remained shaky.

"Conditions continue to be volatile and competitive activity continues to put downward pressure on yields," Virgin said in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange.

"The soft growth seen at the end of the fiscal year, at this stage, is not sufficient to suggest a consistent across-the-board improvement in conditions."

Revenues increased by 13 percent to 2.98 billion dollars, buoyed by a solid performance on Virgin's domestic routes.

Chief John Borghetti said the result "demonstrates that Virgin Blue's domestic business has the capability to ride through market and economic volatility, and remain well positioned to extend its reach in key markets." To that end, Borghetti announced a codesharing partnership with Etihad which will see Virgin's long-haul international arm V Australia launch three weekly Sydney to Abu Dhabi services from 2011. It would drop non-profiting services to Fiji, South Africa and Phuket.

"Together with our proposed alliances with Delta Air Lines and Air New Zealand the Virgin Blue network will seamlessly extend its reach to many more overseas destinations with little capital expenditure," Borghetti said.

Domestically, Virgin would also bring two Airbus A330-200 aircraft online to boost services along the busy east coast corridor and popular cross-continent route to the west coast city of Perth, he added.

The changes were aimed at capitalising on the increasing popularity of budget flight options with corporate and government groups, he said.

Virgin Blue, which is part-owned by Richard Branson's Virgin group and is Australia's second-largest airline, has not returned a dividend since 2008.

Its shares were 3.57 percent higher at 29 cents following the result in a broadly stronger market. (AFP)