2011 - best year for tourism

by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

Sri Lanka ‘s tourist arrivals will reach unprecedented growth this year with the number of visitors expected to touch the 800,000 mark according to Sri Lanka Tourism data.

The number of arrivals rose 27.2 percent in September from a year earlier and continuing to rise every month on a year-on-year basis since May 2009.

“We are confident the number of tourists will reach 800,000 by the end of this year which has been so far the best year for tourism in Sri Lanka.

The construction of new hotels and refurbishment of properties across the country will stimulate tourism growth”, a top official of Sri Lanka Tourism said.

The government is targeting an annual revenue of $2.75 b by 2016 from $ 2.5 m. Sri Lanka ‘s beaches, hills, religious and historic sites will draw tourists, while aiming at $3 b in foreign direct investment.

According to Tourism Promotion Bureau data visitors in September totalled 60,219. Tourist arrivals in the first nine months of 2011 jumped 34.3 percent from the same period last year to 598,006. Sri Lanka has forecast 20 percent growth in visitor arrivals this year to more than 780,000 people. This number would outdo last year’s record high number.

The island’s tourism industry drew $1.2 b in investment in the first half of 2011.

The Kalpitiya Tourism Development Zone, construction of hotels and villas in the Eastern coast, the entry of local and foreign hotel chains and conglomerates to the leisure sector in Sri Lanka is expected to boost tourism in Sri Lanka

The latest entry to the tourism sector is the HVA Group which is constructing around 15 eco-bungalows on a 50-acre land adjoining the organic farm set up by the company near the Wilpattu National Park .

Chairman of HVA Rohan Fernando said work on the project has commenced and added that it will be completed in a year. The organic farm will be set up on a 500-acre land which will be run by HVA Farms (Pvt) Ltd., a subsidiary of the Group.

“Fernando said the company has invested around Rs. 20 m up to date on the project and is expecting to further invest around Rs. 200 m for the project. The objective is to produce organic produce and support the local economy with job opportunities for people in the area.

HVA grows cashew, mango and oranges on an organic farm set up in the area. The government said it expected at least $1.5 b in foreign investment for a proposed “tourist city” replete with hotels, shopping and a convention centre in Katana, a coastal town located 15 km north of the commercial capital, Colombo.

Tourism revenue, which jumped 64.8 percent in 2010 to a record $575.9 m rose 49 percent in the first eight months of this year from a year earlier to $521.7 m,according to Central Bank data.