NE gearing for tourist influx
by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE
Tourist arrivals are on the upsurge and the tourism industry is
geared to cater to the influx of visitors, said Chairman, Pacific Asia
Travel Association (PATA) and Jetwing Hotels, Hiran Cooray.
He said that the company will commence building a 60-80 room hotel in
Jaffna next month and then expand in the region.
“The East coast is a hot spot for tourists and we will build a hotel
each in Uppuweli, Kuchchaveli and Pasikudah early next year”, Cooray
said.
“The untouched reefs in the Northern and Eastern provinces are ideal
for snorkelling, wind surfing, scuba diving and whale watching”,
hoteliers said.
Managing Director Aitken Spence Hotels, Malin Hapugoda said plans are
afoot to build a four-star hotel in Jaffna, a resort in Ahungalla, a
conference centre in Kandalama and a property to be developed in
Kalpitiya.
“We are looking at options to buy land in the East for resorts”, he
said.
The foundation stone for the first hotel in the Pasikudah Tourism
Zone was laid by Amaya Leisure in June encouraging investors to follow
suit.
Tourism in Sri Lanka is evolving from being a budget destination to a
much sought after location.
The country has been rated by the New York Times and the National
Geographic as the top location to visit.
The number of tourist arrivals since January this year has recorded a
50 percent increase compared to the sluggish growth in 2009. Tourist
arrivals are expected to reach 600,000 by end this year.
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