To utilise untapped potential of rural people in Uva:

SLCB promotes tourism

By Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

In line with the need to promote local tourism the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) launched a program to develop tourism in the Uva province.

The Uva Tourism Development Project was launched under the directive of the Minister of Tourism Achala Jagoda.

The Uva province is home to a large sector of bio-diversity, natural resources and historical sites while it is also the most poverty stricken region with household income at an alarmingly low level.

The Uda Walawe and Yala national parks, Badulla, Bandarawela, Ella, Haputale, Buttala, Thanamalwila, Wellawaya and Kataragama are places frequently thronged by local and foreign tourists.

Beneath the rich natural heritage lies the vast untapped potential of the rural people whose skills have faded away unutilised.

The Ministry of Tourism embarked on this mega project with the aim of alleviating poverty through income generating opportunities for a wider segment of the society who live a hand to mouth existence.

Chairman, SLCB, Salinda Bandara said work on the project is progressing well and now it is at the stage of identifying new locations and training people for various professions.

With foreign tourists flocking in large numbers at all prime locations across the country promoting the indigenous culture in the village was essential, he said.

"Camping sites, information centres, direction boards and a website has been launched under the project to attract local visitors to the province.

All activities are carried out with the participation of the local community", Bandara said.

Tourism has much potential in the Uva province to create employment, regional development and multiple spin-offs for rural poverty alleviation.

As majority of the employees in the sector are not trained, steps have been taken to improve the quality.

Tourism in Sri Lanka has rebounced following the complete eradication of terrorism last year.

Tourist arrivals recorded a significant growth this year bringing much needed foreign exchange to the country.

SLCB promotes Sri Lanka as a venue for MICE tourism which makes a vital contribution to the tourism industry.

The tourism development and other promotional arms of the industry have been vested with the task of attracting 2.5 million tourists per year by 2016.

Sri Lanka hotels dress up for post-war rush

Sri Lanka's hotel owners are racing to refurbish and add thousands more rooms as foreign holidaymakers pour into the country after the end of nearly four decades of bloodshed.

Leading hotel groups plan to spend millions of dollars on new decor and facilities for the influx of tourists drawn to the plentiful sunshine, beaches and tropical wildlife on the Indian Ocean island nation.

The ambitious expansion comes amid a post-war revival that has pushed up hotel room rates and given the hospitality industry something to cheer for the first time in years.

For once, after seeing tourists put off by violence and travel warnings from foreign governments, the industry says it is struggling to find places for the visitors, most of whom come from Britain, Germany, France, India and Japan.

"Hotels are overbooked, a 'problem' which our hotels have not experienced for a very long time," said Srilal Miththapala, who heads the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka.

Counting on this solid demand, many are now investing in new furniture, bars, restaurants, swimming pools and extensions.

Sri Lanka's tourist board expects the total number of hotel rooms to grow from about 15,000 now to 22,000 in the next two years.

In a sign of the changes under way, Sri Lanka's biggest leisure operator John Keells Holdings is partially refurbishing one of its flagship Colombo hotels, while two of its beach-front resorts are set for a complete facelift.

The group's resort in the eastern seaport town of Trincomalee, once a hotbed for Tigers, will re-open in May as a retro-chic five-star hotel.

"With the war behind us, there is pent-up demand for a bit of luxury targeting well-heeled guests.

We're very bullish," said its deputy chairman, Ajit Gunewardene.

The Tigers, who waged a 37-year separatist war of suicide bombings, assassinations and military offensives, were crushed by government forces last May, finally bringing peace to the Buddhist-majority nation.

John Keells, which owns seven resorts and two city hotels with 1,600 rooms, will spend in excess of 900 million dollars over three years to renovate and build three hotels, Gunewardene said.

Rival operator Aitken Spence Group says it is spending nearly 30 million dollars in the next year to spruce up properties and build three hotels in the island's North and East.

Shiromal Cooray, a director at the Jetwing Group which manages a chain of 10 hotels, admitted that significant improvement was needed because nearly half of the country's current hotel rooms are below so-called "star class."

Jetwing plans to spend more than seven million dollars this year to improve its properties.

Dileep Mudadeniya, who heads the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, says most hotels have been fully occupied in the past three or four months.

A key foreign exchange earner, the number of holidaymakers in February soared 68 percent to 57,300 over the same month a year earlier, according to tourist board figures.

"Forward bookings are encouraging," said Mudadeniya. "I was told that 20 to 30 hotels are closed for any new reservations till the end of March because they are fully booked."

The industry is hoping to attract 2.5 million visitors by 2016, up from 447,890 in 2009, the final year of hostilities.

It is also hoping to earn two billion dollars annually in tourist revenue by 2016, up from 350 million dollars last year.

The downside for holidaymakers is that the days of bargain hotel rates in Sri Lanka appear to be over.

A year ago, visitors could easily get discounts of 50 percent or more on advertised room rates.

"There are virtually no rooms in the Southern resorts.

Bookings are heavy," said Lakal Jayasinghe, who manages the Tangerine Beach Hotel, a deluxe beach resort in the south.

AFP

New bonus miles from Emirates

Emirates passengers travelling from Colombo to Singapore, Melbourne or Brisbane till the end of March can earn up to 9,000 bonus Skywards Miles from the airline's frequent flyer programme in an exciting new promotion.

These bonus Miles are in addition to the Skywards Miles they are already entitled to and the bonus miles they would normally earn if they fly First or Business Class, the award-winning Dubai-based carrier said.

The additional bonus miles come from the new Miles Accelerator feature introduced by Emirates to enable Skywards members to earn extra miles on selected flights.

Coinciding with the designation of Colombo-Singapore, Singapore-Brisbane and Singapore-Melbourne flights as Miles Accelerator flights in March, Emirates has also introduced special fares that will be applicable on these sectors in this period.

Consequently, a Colombo - Singapore Economy Class return ticket is now available for Rs 31,900 inclusive of taxes and surcharges and will earn the passenger a total of 3,200 Skywards Miles, including a bonus of 1,500 miles.

Similarly, a Business Class return to Singapore will cost Rs 80,900 all-inclusive, and earn the passenger a total of 7,250 miles, of which the Miles Accelerator bonus will be 3,000 miles.

An Economy Class return ticket to Melbourne or Brisbane is priced at Rs 89,600 and Rs 91,900 respectively and will earn 4,500 and 5,500 bonus miles, while a Business Class return journey to the same destinations will each earn up to 9,000 bonus miles.

Devika Ellepola, Emirates Sales Manager in Sri Lanka said: "These bonus miles represent a substantial value addition, which together with the Skywards Miles accrued, could be redeemed for free tickets.

This is therefore an opportunity that frequent flyers as well as Sri Lankans visiting friends and relatives or simply going on holiday will welcome."

The Miles Accelerator bonuses are valid for fares purchased before 31st March 2010.

The winner of more than 400 international awards, Emirates operates five flights a week from Colombo to Singapore.

The airline operates 70 flights a week from Dubai to Australia, providing convenient connections to four destinations on the continent. Sydney is served with three daily flights, seven days a week, and Perth with double daily services. Daily flights from Dubai to Melbourne and Brisbane operate via Singapore, and Emirates also serves Melbourne with daily direct flights from Dubai and via Kuala Lumpur.

Emirates doubles up on Heathrow double-decker

Emirates is to add another A380 to its London-Heathrow route from July 1 this year, making the popular superjumbo experience more widely available to passengers.

The airline brought its own brand of double-decker, equipped with an Onboard Lounge and Shower Spas, to the British capital in December 2008.

In addition to the daily EK 001 from Dubai, the A380 will also be deployed on EK 003 Salem Obaidalla, Emirates' Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe and Russian Federation, said: "This is an important development for Emirates as this is the first route where we have made a long term commitment to double up on the double-decker."

Obaidalla said: "London Heathrow was one of the key airports we had in mind when the A380 was first conceived and the new deployment allows more passengers travelling to and from the British capital to experience this remarkable aircraft."