Travel

World Tourism Day celebrations on a grand scale

World Tourism Day will be celebrated islandwide on a grandscale this year to promote Sri Lankan tourism said Director General, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, S. Kalaiselvam.

He was addressing a ceremony on Tuesday to outline the program to mark World Tourism Day (WTD).

Dialog Senior Manager Chirantha de Zoysa, Hutch Marketing Manager Zaharine R Hameen, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Acting Managing Director Malraj Kiriella, SLTDA Director General S Kalaiselvan and Airtel Corporate Affairs Head Johann Munaweera at the press conference Pic: Sumanachandra Ariyawansa

World Tourism Day is celebrated on September 27 which also marks the inauguration of the World Tourism Organisation in 1975 in Madrid Spain.

Kalaiselvam said the main event which will be held in Kirala Kele, Matara, a nature friendly site adds significance to this year's theme 'Tourism and Biodiversity'.

He said events will be held in every province to mark World Tourism Day.A kite competition,cycle and marathon race, promotion of new sites and tree planting are some of the events that will be held in Matara.

World Tourism Day is celebrated with pomp and pageantry every year to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination. Last year's celebrations were held in Hikkaduwa.

Tourist arrivals recorded around 35 percent growth last month compared to August last year and the growth during the first half of this year was 48 percent against the same period in 2009.

Revenue from tourism during the first seven months of this year has been around US$ 300 million. Revenue from tourism last year was around US$ 350 million. Sri Lanka tourism expects around 600,000 visitors to the country by the end of the year.Tourist arrivals last year was around 448,000.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (STPB) launched a SMS campaign to woo domestic visitors to explore new locations across the country. The campaign which commenced on September 15 will conclude on September 27. Telecommunication service providers Dialog, Mobitel, Airtel, Etisalat and Hutch jointly run the campaign. Acting Managing Director, STPB, Malraj Kiriella said the objective of the campaign is to create awareness and promote new locations in the country.

The campaign encompasses six questions and each question will record the highest polled attraction among categories such as beaches, heritage, wildlife, festivals, adventure sports and waterfalls. Kiriella said STPB wants to use modern technology to reach out to all tourists.The data obtained from the campaign will be used to promote new sites in Sri Lanka and lure travellers to these locations. "Six winners will be selected, one from each category from a raffle draw. The lucky winners will receive a two-night stay at a luxury hotel in the vicinity of the site they voted", he said. LF

Bhutan to triple tourist arrivals by 2012

Bhutan, a remote Himalayan nation that charges tourists hundreds of dollars a day to visit, wants to triple the number of foreign visitors by 2012, the prime minister has said.

The insular Himalayan kingdom, famed for its adoption of "gross domestic happiness" as the key measurement of its success, has so far targeted visitors with deep pockets in a deliberate policy to promote "high value" tourism.

The online version of Bhutan's state-owned Kuensel newspaper said Thimpu expected more than 30,000 tourists in 2010 in a first step to meet an ambitious target of luring 100,000 wealthy tourists to the hilly country by 2012.

"We want to expand this sector without compromising our policy of high quality, low impact and not volume tourism," Kuensel quoted prime minister Lyonchhoen Jigmi Thinley as saying in a report dated 14 September.

"We're doing quite well. The highest was in 2008 and, this year, we are definitely going to cross the 30,000 mark, possibly 35,000. And this is our starting year against the target of 100,000 tourists by 2012," he said. Western visitors to Bhutan must pay a minimum of 200 dollars a day for visa and government-approved travel agency fees.

Economic growth in Bhutan slowed sharply last year to six percent as tourist numbers fell, the World Bank said in May.

It said the Buddhist-majority nation saw a seven-million-dollar decline in tourism income in the 2008/2009 financial year from 39 million dollars the previous year. AFP

Emirates' 'limited edition' fare from Colombo to LA

Emirates will celebrate the launch of a second daily flight to Los Angeles from October 31 with limited-duration fare from Colombo. Passengers who purchase their tickets before October 15 for outbound travel between October 31 and November 30 will be entitled to avail of these special rates.

"Los Angeles is a popular destination among Sri Lankans travelling to the US, and the launch of a second daily flight will be welcomed," Emirates Sales Manager Devika Ellepola said. "This special fare represents a significant saving, and so early booking is advised." Starting October 31 for Los Angeles and November 1 for Houston, Emirates will fly non-stop to both cities twice a day using Boeing 777 aircraft.