Travel

Cooray honoured

by PATWA

Sri Lanka's tourism professional, veteran hospitality industry developer and former Chairman of blue chip tourism company Aitken Spence, Prema Cooray, was honoured by Pacific Asia Travel Writers Association

(PATWA) with their `all of Fame' Award for his lifetime contribution to the promotion of Sri Lanka Tourism worldwide. Cooray received this award on March 13 at SAAL , Berlin during the largest Travel Fair in the world, ITB, where Sri Lanka is being projected to the buyers attending from all over the world as a unique destination. Cooray is attending ITB representing Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, as its Chairman.

The PATWA is the biggest travel writers' organisation representing members from 70 countries from all over the world. Incidentally, PATWA was established during a PATA Conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which strives to promote professional development of travel writing and travel communication. PATWA's objectives are in line with that of PATA efforts for tourism, and at the same time it will maintain adherence to the fundamental principles of UNESCO, United Nations, and of the World Tourism Organisation.

Walkers tours wins 3 awards

Walkers Tours Ltd (the leisure arm of the John Keells Group) won 3 awards at the 3rd annual Asia Travel and Tourism Creative Awards 2008, organised by AdAsia, a leading magazine in the advertising and marketing field. The awards won by Walkers were Category Award Title Travel/Destination Brochure Bronze Country Roads - Promoting Eco Tourism in Sri Lanka Website (Consumer Travel) Bronze Your Travel Partner in Sri Lanka Travel Photography Bronze "Gathering".

A vast number of entries were accepted from Tourist Boards, hotels and resorts, airlines, tour operators, online travel services, luggage manufacturers, car hire companies and other companies in the industry, the world over. Walkers Tours had the distinction of being the only Sri Lankan DMC (Destination Management Company) to participate in the competition. Commenting on the award, Vasantha Leelananda, Sector Head - Leisure Inbound, John Keells Holdings PLC, "We are delighted to have received these awards. Walkers Tours is a company that prides itself on both quality and presentation; and awards such as these bear witness to the in-house and well-honed talents of our dynamic team."

Cathay Pacific celebrates oneworld

A striking new livery is going onto three Cathay Pacific aircraft to mark a significant milestone - the 10th anniversary of the oneworld alliance. To highlight their ongoing commitment to oneworld, the alliance's 10 full member airlines will each put a standardised oneworld livery on a proportion of the aircraft in their fleet.The first Cathay Pacific aircraft to carry the oneworld livery, an Airbus A340-300, arrived back in Hong Kong last week after being painted at the Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Company facility.

IATA President meets Saudi Arabia king

Chairman/Managing Director of The Traveller Global Pvt Ltd. Rizmi Reyal and President, IATA Agents Association of Sri Lanka had the rare opportunity to meet with his Royal Highness the King of Saudi Arabia, Abdulla Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the two Holy Mosques.

Reyal was one of the two privileged participants who represented Sri Lanka when he was invited to attend and participate in the 24th Janadriya Exhibition held on the 4th of March 2009 where they were shown the heritage of Saudi Arabia.

Pic: Sugath Narayana

Dream Holidays relocates

Dream Holidays the leisure arm of Worldlink Travels relocated to Colombo 6 recently.

The new office is at a very convenient location, a few yards from Galle Road on Dharmarama Road.

"We have been at the Galadari Hotel for over 18 years but with the dawn of peace in Sri Lanka, a whole new world will open up for Sri Lankans and the travel market will grow. Hence we want to be geared to offer our customers a state-of-the-art travel facility. The new office is in an excellent location with easy access to our clients" said the Chairman and Managing Director of Dream Holidays (Pvt) Ltd Ahintha Amerasinghe.

Dream Holidays holds the unique record of handling the entire travel arrangements including the conference of the largest group to ever depart from Sri Lanka as one group.

"This was a group of 470 people from Eagle Insurance who went to Malaysia for 3 day program in 2007, infact the second and the third largest groups have also been handled by Dream Holidays as well" said. Director Operations of the Worldlink Travel Group Gerard Amerasinghe.

The General Manager of Dream Holidays Kaysha Perera said, "In addition to handling large groups, Dream Holidays are also offering some excellent packages to families and individuals, from a honeymoon in Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean to a shopping tour to Bangkok. Its convenient for people living in Mount Lavania to Nugegoda to even Colpetty, as they don't have to travel to the city to buy an airticket or even get any assistance with visa formalities. Its so easy for them, as we are able to issue air tickets on any airline within minutes".

Worldlink are the agents in Sri Lanka for Princess Cruises for the past few years. They have opened a Cruise Centre in their new premises to exclusive handle reservations for Princess Cruises' and their subsidiary crusie lines Cunard and P & O. The Cruise Centre is now linked directly online to Princess Cruises' Polar System, hence any cabin can be confirmed within minutes.

New year packages at Galle Face Hotel

With the sound of the singing cuckoo bird and the changes in environment, when flowers bloom and trees are heavily laden with fruits, we at Galle Face Hotel offers you a special Sinhala & Tamil New Year Package that fits in accordingly to suit the festive Season at an unbelievable offer from April 1 to 30

A Mongolian feast at Cinnamon Grand

Cinnamon Grand offers an exotic indulgent feast this month with the launch of its first ever Mongolian Promotion at the Atrium Caf‚ from March the 19 to 29 from 7 p.m. to 11.p.m. rife with all the flavours and spices of ancient Mongolia,