North, East hotels record full occupancy

by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

Nilaveli beach

The number of tourists to the North and the East has increased sharply, according to hoteliers and tour operators in the region. Hoteliers said that a large number of visitors has already arrived in Jaffna for the Nallur festival which will be held this month.

Most of the hotels and resorts in both regions are having 100 percent occupancy, hoteliers said.

Hotel Coral Bay Manager Saman Ganhewa said that the hotel has been having full occupancy for the past three months and added that the number of visitors will exceed capacity during the holiday season.

The development of roads and highways, hotels and resorts and transportation attracts a large number of tourists to the North and the East which comprises popular places of worship such as the Koneswaran Kovil in Trincomalee and the Nallur Kandasamy Temple in Jaffna, Arugam Bay and Passikudah, which is one of the finest in the world for surfing and whale watching, the Nilaveli beach and the hot springs in Kannia.

"The number of visitors to the East has increased due to better accommodation facilities and improvement in transportation," Ganhewa said.

He said that tourists flock to Nilaveli for its clean and serene beach. It is one of the best beaches in the East coast with excellent conditions for diving and snorkeling.

Koneswaram Temple

Carpeting the Colombo-Trincomalee road and regular train service have also attracted more visitors to the East which is a hotspot for tourists.

Trincomalee which is home to one of the world's deepest harbours, marvels visitors with its unique landscape. The Koneswaram Kovil and the Swarmi Rock with a 130-metre fall to the sea are iconic sites that baffles tourists. Locally known as Lover's Leap due to a historic legend that a Dutch official's daughter threw herself off the cliff, after watching her unfaithful husband desert her by sea.

The parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Palayuttu, Trincomalee Fr. Andrias Fernando said that a large number of local and foreign tourists has already come to Trincomalee for the holiday season.

"We anticipate a larger number of tourists this time as more hotels have been set up here," he said, adding "Devotees come in droves for the church feast which is celebrated in May."

The Jetwing and Aitken Spence hotels have already ventured into the North and the East which will be a fillip to tourism in the regions. Maalu Maalu Resorts and Spa set up by veteran hotelier Chandra Wickramasinghe in Passikudah is a huge boost to tourism in the East.

The Arugam Bay, a small fishing village is an ideal location for wind surfing from April to September. Batticaloa which is the gateway to Trincomalee has diverse attractions such as the singing fish lake, the fisheries harbour, hotels and resorts.

Second World War cemetery

Jaffna Chamber of Commerce President K. Poornachandran said that tourism is a key beneficiary of the peace dividends and added that the North has enormous potential for tourism.

"Hotels are being developed and the number of tourists is on the rise," he said.

The rich agriculture in the North supported by irrigation is becoming commercially viable again. The shallow lagoons around the peninsula has an abundance of bird life. Jaffna is again becoming a lively town in the busy bazaar. The Jaffna Fort and the library which was one of the best in Asia and the islands are some of the tourists attractions in the North.

The number of tourist arrivals is on a steady rise with a 20 percent month-on-month growth. The number of visitors is expected to reach one million by the end of this year, according to Sri Lanka Tourism projections.