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Saturday, 31 July 2010
Sri Lanka Tourism wins Gold at PATA
The brochures were entered with a title that reads 'Revamping Consumer Travel Brochures of Sri Lanka Tourism' and it won in the Marketing Media - Consumer Travel Brochure category. This is a stupendous feat as it is the first time in Sri Lanka Tourism's history that it has achieved PATA Gold.
The judges were most impressed with the quality of the entry and; indeed, with the overall high standard of entries submitted this year. Sri Lanka Tourism was competing with nearly 200 entries from 80 organisations and individuals worldwide.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a membership association that works towards the responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry.
In partnership with private and public sector members PATA enhances the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism to, from and within the region. PATA organises the Gold awards on an annual basis.
The award will be presented at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel on Friday, 17 September, at a glittering event that is expected to attract close to 500 participants. The brochures were designed by Phoenix O&M and the photographs were carefully selected by the staff at Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.
"We took a different approach after conducting research on competing destinations brochures. We decided to go with a picture led approach as the research clearly showed that most consumer brochures are used at a very early stage of the decision-making process. Therefore these brochures act as an interest generator rather than documented information," stated Managing Director of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Dileep Mudadeniya.
The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has produced close to 12 new brochures which on various themes including nature and wildlife, beaches, festivals and events to name a few. Each brochure has approximately 12 language translations each. All the brochures have been converted to e-brochures which can be accessed at www.srilanka.travel, ensuring easy transference of data.
"We have these brochures in various travel fairs and they have been in demand with tour operators around the world. It has been a long standing need. We are happy at having finally struck gold at PATA and delighted these brochures have gained world class standards," said Siri De Silva, President of ASMET.
Other winners include the Indian Ministry of Tourism for the Eco Tourism Marketing Campaign, Qantas Australia for the Environmental Education Programme, Tourism Authority of Thailand for the Culture and Iwahig River Community and Philippines for Ecotourism, to name a few.
www.dailymirror.lk
Sri Lanka travel warning removed by Britain
A British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) statement said it no longer advised against all travel to the northern districts of Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaittivu and Vavuniya.
The move comes as tourist arrivals to the island are increasingly following the end of the 30-year ethnic war in May 2009 and ahead of the peak winter tourism season.
The FCO said visitors must have permission from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence before travelling to the northern districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaittivu and Vavuniya.
Although the war was over, "there is a general threat from terrorism in Sri Lanka," it said.
"Isolated attacks cannot be ruled out and could be indiscriminate.
"Foreign tourists and visitors have not been targeted in the past but attacks have occurred in places frequented by foreigners."
The FCO also advised tourists to be careful of mines and unexploded ordnance.
"Although the conflict is over, extensive military operations are still ongoing, clearing minefields, unexploded ordnance and locating weapon caches," it said.
"Do not venture from the roads or cleared footpaths and if in any doubt, contact the local security authorities for local advice."
The FCO also warned British nationals to avoid any political gatherings or rally and to beware of "spontaneous large gatherings" because of potential violence.
It also warned of an increasing number of incidents of credit card fraud, road accidents and drownings.
www.lankabusinessonline.com
Sri Lanka gets more Emirates flights to Male
Emirates is to add three extra flights to Malé from August 1, resulting in the airline operating daily flights between Malé and Colombo and increasing its services from four to five flights a week.
The additional flights take Emirates’ services to the Maldives to 19 a week, making the Dubai-based airline one of the most active international carriers serving the country.
"As tourism and economies revive in the region, there is increasing demand for seats on the Malé-Colombo sector," said Majid Al Mualla, Senior Vice President - Commercial Operations West Asia & Indian Ocean.
Emirates flights EK652 and EK 654 will depart Malé at 16:30 and arrive in Colombo at 18:30. On Wednesdays and Fridays, EK654 will continue on to Dubai from Colombo.
The return flight EK653 - operating on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday - will depart Colombo at 21:35 and arrive in Malé at 22:35.
These flights will be served by Emirates’ Airbus A330-200 aircraft in a three-class configuration, with 12 seats in First Class, 42 seats in Business Class and 183 seats in Economy Class.
Emirates has served the Maldives since April 1987, and also operates 14 flights a week from Malé to Dubai, the airline’s home base.
www.lankabusinessonline.com
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau nominated for top industry award
The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau’s London Office has been nominated for one of the UK travel industry’s most prestigious awards. The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has been shortlisted for the Tourist Board of the Year prize in the TTG Travel Awards, along with Tourism Australia, Barbados Tourism Authority, Dubai Tourism, Kenya Tourist Board and South Africa Tourism. The awards are run by the industry’s leading trade newspaper, Travel Trade Gazette.
Daniel Pearce, editor of TTG, said: “Faced with ash cloud, airline strikes and global recession, the UK’s best travel companies have really proven their worth, and we’ve been overwhelmed by the strength of this year’s entries. Our unique combination of voting by travel agents and judging by industry experts makes a TTG Award the real hallmark of excellence within travel. We congratulate all those who’ve made it onto our hotly-contested shortlist.”
Sanjika Perera, Director said: “The TTG Travel Awards are regarded as a universal benchmark of quality within the travel industry. We are tremendously proud to have been shortlisted alongside such other strong entrants.”
Judges for the awards include experts from leading travel companies and trade bodies such as Thomas Cook, Sandals and the Institute of Travel and Tourism, as well as leading figures from the worlds of commerce and retail. This year’s winners will be announced at a spectacular ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on September 23.
www.indiainfoline.com
Kalpitiya gets geared to the growing Tourist Industry
All the projects will be environment friendly and will be green hotels dedicated to cater to leisure activities.
According to Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, they have been able to get the lands owned by the Government that were not inhabited by fishermen in the hope of creating 5,000 rooms. These rooms will supplement the 35,000 total rooms in the country by 2015.
Tourist Authority sources said 2,000 rooms will become available by the end of 2012. More than one million tourists are expected in the Kalpitiya Zone after the development of the entire resort, which will be featured with beaches, diving, fishing and sun-bathing facilities.
www.defence.lk
SriLankan ventures into hotel industry as tourism booms in Sri Lanka
The government media unit citing Wickremasinghe said the SriLankan Airlines is to build a tourist hotel near the main Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) at Katunayake.
The planned site for the hotel is right across the departure lounge of the BIA. The airline has obtained an is reportedly abandoned factory in the export processing zone near the international airport and plans to convert it into a hotel with at least 125 rooms.
According to Wickremasinghe, the national carrier is also planning to double its fleet and add new destinations. As a first step in the expansion, the carrier just took the delivery of a new Airbus aircraft on Tuesday received
The tourism industry has seen a surge in tourist arrivals with the end of the decades-long conflict in May 2009 necessitating the need for more hotel rooms to accommodate the incoming tourists.
The tourist arrivals have been steadily increasing since the end of the war and recent data from the Tourist Board has shown that Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals jumped by 48.4 percent until June 2010 compared to a year earlier. Tourist arrivals rose nearly 48 percent in June to 44,730 from a year ago.
The hotels in the country are in a race with time to provide more accommodation and facilities to the anticipated influx of tourists to the country.
The Tourism Board says it is hoping to attract 2.5 million visitors by 2016 and to earn 2 billion-dollar annual income from tourism by 2016.
www.colombopage.com
Serendib Hotels Places in Top 10 at Culinary Art competition 2010 - Club Hotel Dolphin ranks sixth
Serendib Leisure Management came away, from the recently concluded Culinary Art 2010, triumphant, with Club Hotel Dolphin, ranking sixth, in the top 10 list. The only non-five star property to feature in the top ten, the hotel ranked ahead of several 5 star city hotels with its participants winning accolades in areas such as Live Cooking, Butter, Vegetable and Ice Carvings, and Set Dinner.
Amongst Dolphin’s 30 medal haul, were 4 gold medals, 9 silver and 17 bronze. The group’s other properties, Sigiriya and Serendib, also won 5 medals each in the silver and bronze categories, bringing the group’s total medal count to forty.
In preparation for the competition the group’s management had procured the assistance of Motivational Speaker, CEO of Sri Lankan Catering and incumbent President of the Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association, Sarath Fernando, whose motivational talks encouraged the group’s chefs and aided them in honing their skills for the competition.
The Culinary Art competition is a bi-annual event organised by the Chef’s Guild of Lanka and this year’s competitors were judged by an internationally recognised panel of judges, both from Sri Lanka and overseas, who weighed the contestants on the WACS international standards. The competition which ran from the 5th to 8th February focussed on new areas this year and participants were expected to display knowledge of the science of food, as well as an understanding of diet and nutrition, in addition to showcasing their creative presentation skills.
Serendib Leisure group of hotels have already gained wide-spread acclaim for their eco-friendly tourism practices, with Hotel Sigiriya, which is situated at the base of the UNESCO World Heritage site, Sigiriya Rock, winning the majority of the group’s “Green” awards. Serendib’s beach front properties, Club Hotel Dolphin, in Waikkal and the Serendib Hotel, located on Bentota’s golden beach make ideal backdrops for rest, relaxation and even exploring the surroundings that are rich in a colourful history that goes back hundreds of years.
All three properties are aesthetically pleasing with in-room amenities and facilities that are above and beyond those provided by other similar class hotels and offer a diverse assortment of activities for the whole family.
www.serendibleisure.com
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Tenders to be called for tourism development projects
Kuchchuweli, located in the North East, has been identified as a maritime tourism base and tenders will be called soon to develop infrastructure and other needs to support the area’s tourism development, Project Director, SLTDA, Tissa Sooriyagoda told The Island Financial Review.
He said that three investors were interested on marine development.
Tenders would be called to develop the bay and the surrounding islands, including the construction of an underwater amusement park, a sea-plane port, a boating area while developing a racecourse, golf links in Kalpitiya.
The economic minister’s promise for approvals within three hours has been activated by the authority. "We provide the approvals within three hours in many cases, in some cases we request for time to do additional research," he said.>>>>
Gulf air to re-launch flights to Sri Lankan capital
The airline will begin services on A320 aircraft to Colombo from October 5 with five flights per week.
The airline served Sri Lanka since 1976 but suspended services in 2005. Announcing the decision to re-launch the services to Colombo, the Gulf Air chief Samer Majali has told the TradeArabia News Service that the time has come for the airline to re-connect with the capital of Sri Lanka.
"Besides being the country's largest base for commerce and trade, Colombo is also a popular tourist destination with its fabulous beaches and cultural attractions. In addition, the re-commencement of service to Colombo will be great news for the thousands of Sri Lankan residents in Bahrain as they now have a direct and non-stop service to their country," Majali was quoted.
The airline also announced new services to Aden in Yemen via Sana. The executive has said that there is a strong commercial potential in the new destinations.
Sri Lanka leisure industry in boom but profits still elusive
Already valuations of traded stocks have zoomed to dizzy 'dot com' heights, and profits to justify the valuations are lagging several years behind.
Dizzy Multiples
The hotel sector is trading at a very high 103 times profits in the Colombo stocks. Profits have only just started to emerge in a sector which saw losses for most of last year.
"Most of the hotels were in the negative territory before December, so it was eating into total profits of the market," says Saminda Weerasinghe, head of research at Acuity Stockbrokers in Colombo.
"In December hotels contributed 3.0 percent to profits. In March it was 8.0 percent."
Occupancy in hotels is now reaching 80 percent in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has 14,500 hotel rooms rated by star category by the state tourism authority. The hotels are expected to be able to accommodate about 750,000 tourists.
This year the industry is expecting 600,000 arrivals, up from 447,000 last year. Sri Lanka's tourism authority is projecting 2.5 million tourists by 2016.
Weerasinghe says about 2,000 to 3,000 hotel rooms are expected to be put up by developers over the next two years. It may go up to 20,000 by 2016, he says.
Investment Plans
Sri Lanka's Amaya Leisure says it wants to put 100 million US dollars into four hotels over the next four years. Its affiliate Colombo Continental will put in another 60 million US dollars.
John Keells Holdings has said it has lined up over 50 million US dollars to put in to hotels over the next two to three years.
Of that the group has already spent 5.0 million US dollars to refurbish its property in Trincomalee and has kicked off a 25 million US dollar hotel in Beruwela in the southwest coast, says Krishan Balendra, head of strategic planning in the group.
A 10 million US dollar refurbishment of Coral Gardens Hotel in Hikkaduwa, also in the southwest, has also started.
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Sri Lanka – Egypt strengthen relations
The Egyptian Night was held yesterday at the Galadari Hotel coincides with the Egyptian National Day. The Gala Night was a cultural extravaganza held with the objective of promoting and showcasing the cultural diversity by contemporary Egyptian artistes.
Speaking on the occasion Gohar said Egypt and Sri Lanka share a common interest that is the promotion of tourism across the world. Natural beauty of Sri Lanka’s tropical forests, beaches and landscape as well as its rich cultural heritage make it a world famous tourist destination.
Similarly, Egypt with its exotic and vibrant destinations is a hot spot among the tourists of the world, he added.
Egypt Tourism Office Director Adel El Masry said Egypt is similar to Sri Lanka in cultural aspect. It is a matter of honour for us to be part of this huge platform in a country like Sri Lanka that has so much to offer. Masry said tourism is the third largest income source of Egypt. Tourism was recorded a share of around US $ 11.8 Million to the GDP. It also provide two million jobs.
Monday, 19 July 2010
Sri Lanka to invite investment for marina
Tissa Sooriyagoda, project director at the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, said the Kalpitiya tourist resort covers a total of 5,000 acres which are available for development by investors.
Two resorts have already been approved by the authority and several more are under consideration in the area which has a sheltered bay and several islands.
"Now we're talking with investors on building infrastructure such as a marina for boats," he told LBO.
"We're going to call for tenders."
Tourist resorts in the area would need berthing facilities for boats and yachts.
A landing area for sea planes has also been identified, Sooriyagoda said.
Sri Lanka is witnessing a tourism boom with the end of the island's 30-year ethnic war in May 2009.
Arrivals this year are up almost 50 percent compared with last year.
www.lankabusinessonline.com
Sri Lanka hotel room rates to be upped 20-pct in winter: official
Sri Lanka's leisure operators will push up room rates by about 20 percent in the coming winter season, amid a post-war tourism boom that has seen a near 50 percent jump in arrivals, officials said.
"In the coming winter most of the hotels have increased rates in hard currency by over 20 percent," Jetwing chief Hiran Cooray told a forum in Colombo.
"Some of the improved and repositioned hotels will get even more. There has to be proper product development to get prices as well."
The Jetwing group operates a string of resort hotels around the country of over 500 rooms, ranging from a luxury eco-resorts to 4-star beach hotels.
A 30-year war ended in May 2009 and tourism arrivals have since picked up. In the six months to June 2009 arrivals were up 48 percent to 278,000. Officials are expecting 600,000 tourists this year up from 447,000 a year earlier.
John Keells Holdings said it had seen an immediate increase in its coastal resorts and in the central hills where it has 760 rooms. Occupancy and rates at its two 5-star rated hotels with 840 rooms had almost doubled.
At Cinnamon Lakeside in Colombo occupancy had jumped from 40 percent before the war ended to over 80 percent now, Krishan Balendra, the group's head of corporate finance and strategy told a forum organized by Acuity, an investment bank earlier this month.
Average room rates which were hovering around 40 to 50 dollars average,are now over 70 dollars at Cinnamon Lakeside, he said.
"At Cinnamon Grand, a similar picture; occupancies of over 80 percent in recent months from around 40 percent before the war ended. And room rates of over 90 dollars from around 50 dollars before the war ended."
www.lankabusinessonline.com
The Prime Minister declares open the Sri Lankan Day of Shanghai Expo 2010 exhibition today.
Prime Minister media unit says that the Prime Minister will hold discussions with high ranked Chinese leaders and investors on approaches to develop Sri Lanka’s export sector and also on poverty alleviation in the region.
He will also discuss matters regarding signing of several agreements in the fields of Education, Tourism, Energy and Agriculture.
www.slbc.lk
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Qatari Tourists flock to Sri Lanka as H1 2010 tourist arrivals surge 252%
The total number of travellers from the Middle East region reflected a similar upsurge with arrivals increasing by 102% over the same period.
"Regardless of apprehensions of an unsteady global economy, Middle East's discerning travellers are spending time and money on travel and Sri Lanka has been one of the preferred destinations of choice with a meteoric rise in tourists during H1 2010," observed Ms Heba Al Mansoori, Middle East Director of SLTPB."We have just closed in on the results of the first six months of 2010 and we're up 102% as compared to H1 2009," Ms Al Mansoori said. "While 2009 was when the recovery process started, with the end of three decades of war, the rebound has been robust and rapid and the recovery is being driven and led by the Middle East with strong growth from key markets including the UAE which was up by 209%, Saudi Arabia up by 96%, Bahrain by 142% and Kuwait up by 95%."
Sri Lanka's tourism industry is resilient and the government is sparing no efforts to revitalize the tourism industry as they recognize that tourism has a key role to play in the country's economic recovery and stability.
"Our outlook remains positive for the rest of the year as we have successfully built a relationship of trust with both regional consumers and the travel trade and will continue to reap benefits with the gradually improving economic situation," Ms Al Mansoori stated.
Apart from the Middle East, regions that proved to be a major source market for Sri Lanka and recorded growth in H1 2010 included North America (up by 70%), Western Europe (up by 45%), Eastern Europe (up by 22%), Africa (up by 18%), East Asia (up by 44%), South Asia (up by 53%) and Australasia (up by 44%).
While commenting on SLTPB's Middle East marketing drive, Ms. Al Mansoori said, "We have had to adapt to the changing needs of the consumers and capitalize on trends such as late booking, increasing use of the internet to look and book by increasing Sri Lanka's presence in the web domain regionally."
Ms. Al Mansoori noted that in the Middle East in particular, travelling closer and for shorter periods of time and demanding value for money, seem to have been accentuated during the post crisis period.
SLTPB opened its office in Dubai in May 2008 to maximize the opportunities emerging throughout the Middle East while strengthening support for the travel trade in the region. Since then the Dubai office has co-ordinated all of Sri Lanka's tourism promotional activities in the Arab markets including exhibition participation, marketing visits, presentations and road shows, brochure distribution, public relations, as well as familiarization visits to the island for influential business and travel journalists. The office also functions as the preliminary contact point and enquiry processing centre for travel trade companies and tourists in the region.
Sri Lanka is now on the threshold of developing to its full potential as a prime tourism destination with diverse offerings for members of the whole family whether it is beaches, shopping, visits to wildlife reserves, relaxing at a spa, or simply enjoying the cuisine.
www.ameinfo.com
Saturday, 17 July 2010
Bahrain tourism to Sri Lanka surges 142pc
Tourism from Bahrain to Sri Lanka boomed in the first half of this year with the number of people from the kingdom visiting the republic surging by 142 per cent, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.
The total number of travellers from the Middle East region reflected a similar upsurge with arrivals increasing by 102 per cent over the same period.
"Regardless of apprehensions of an unsteady global economy, Middle East travellers are spending time and money on travel and Sri Lanka has been one of the preferred destinations with a meteoric rise in tourists during the first half of the year," said Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau's Middle East director Heba Al Mansoori.
"While 2009 was when the recovery process started, with the end of three decades of war, the rebound has been robust and rapid and the recovery is being driven and led by the Middle East with strong growth from key markets including the UAE which was up by 209 per cent, Saudi Arabia up by 96 per cent, Qatar by 252 per cent and Kuwait up by 95 per cent.”"Sri Lanka's tourism industry is resilient and the government is sparing no efforts to revitalise the industry as they recognise that tourism has a key role to play in the country's economic recovery and stability,” she added.
"Our outlook remains positive for the rest of the year as we have successfully built a relationship of trust with both regional consumers and the travel trade and will continue to reap benefits with the gradually improving economic situation," Al Mansoori said.
"In the Middle East in particular, travelling closer and for shorter periods of time and demanding value for money, seem to have been accentuated during the post-crisis period.
"The regional outbound market is evolving and inescapably requires changes as we need to know and understand consumers better to be able to market to them,” she concluded.
TradeArabia News Service
SriLankan to resume Kochi flights
Srilankan Airlines will resume its services to Kochi from the next winter schedule of the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL).
"CIAL has been in consultations with the airline for sometime now and as of now, the plan is to operate three flights per week between here and Colombo and providing onward connections accordingly," quoting the airport director A.C.K. Nair, The Hindu reported.
He also said that the airport had been receiving a large number of enquiries from the passengers as the demand for tourist connections and business connections between the two destinations were on the higher side.
"Sri Lanka is fast becoming a popular international tourist destination and the service is also expected to cater to the combined tourist packages connecting it with the various destinations of Malaysia or Singapore," the Airport Director said.
www.dailynews.lk
Hotel Show kicks off with optimism
Optimistic of benefiting from the post-war boom in tourism, the three-day Hotel Show 2010 kicked off yesterday at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre.
Around 90 companies including a dozen from overseas are showcasing via 161 stalls a range of suppliers and service providers to the hotel sector.
President of Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association Sarath Fernando stated that the stalls have been "totally sold out" with the exhibitors having to be placed outside the perimeters as well. "This is a good omen of things to come. This surely and clearly shows that Sri Lanka is poised to reap maximum benefits during the good times," Fernando said.
He said that the event has gained momentum over the years and with peace now on Sri Lankan cards the number of exhibitors has increased so much so that certain stalls had to be placed outside the demarcated perimeters. "At previous occasion we had to have the inauguration ceremony inside the hall because there was so much space left. But today we have to have it in the foyer. The response has been great," Fernando said.
Chief guest Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa pledged government support for the private sector development of the industry. Stating that the government is all ears for businessmen quarries and to facilitate and assist them, Rajapaksa stated that the much needed fast tracking of approvals and other requirements are now in place.
Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Nalaka Godahewa stated that in the country's vision to bring in economic prosperity, tourism is a key sector under focus as the sector could be expanded without depending on anyone else. "Tourism could be developed without depending on anyone else. We alone can make the difference," Godahewa asserted. "What must be done is for the government and private sector to work collaboratively."
The target of tourist arrivals for 2011 is 800,000, Godahewa said. That along with the 2.5 million by 2016 is a highly achievable one, he claimed.
www.dailymirror.lk
Friday, 16 July 2010
Tourism boost for Sri Lanka
The total number of travellers from the Middle East region reflected a similar upsurge with arrivals increasing by 102pc over the same period.
"Regardless of apprehensions of an unsteady global economy, Middle East travellers are spending time and money on travel and Sri Lanka has been one of the preferred destinations with a meteoric rise in tourists during the first half of the year," said Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau's Middle East director Heba Al Mansoori.
"While 2009 was when the recovery process started, with the end of three decades of war, the rebound has been robust and rapid and the recovery is being driven and led by the Middle East with strong growth from key markets including the UAE which was up by 209pc, Saudi Arabia up by 96pc, Qatar by 252pc and Kuwait up by 95pc.
"Sri Lanka's tourism industry is resilient and the government is sparing no efforts to revitalise the industry as they recognise that tourism has a key role to play in the country's economic recovery and stability."
"Our outlook remains positive for the rest of the year as we have successfully built a relationship of trust with both regional consumers and the travel trade and will continue to reap benefits with the gradually improving economic situation," she added.
"In the Middle East in particular, travelling closer and for shorter periods of time and demanding value for money, seem to have been accentuated during the post-crisis period.
"The regional outbound market is evolving and inescapably requires changes as we need to know and understand consumers better to be able to market to them."
Sri Lanka Emerging As Destination Of Choice For Arab Tourists
Middle East tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka rose by 102 per cent in the first six months of 2010 over the same period last year, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau's (SLTPB) Middle East office.
Its director, Heba Al Mansoori, said despite apprehensions of an unsteady global economy, discerning Arab travellers were spending time and money on travel, and Sri Lanka had been one of the preferred destinations.
"While 2009 was when the recovery process started, with the end of three decades of war, the rebound has been robust and rapid and the recovery is being driven by the Middle East," she said in a statement.
According to her, strong growth came from key markets such as the United Arab Emirates (up 209 per cent), Saudi Arabia (up 96 per cent) and Kuwait (up 50 per cent).
The statement did not provide actual tourist arrival figures to Sri Lanka.
However, it noted that Sri Lanka's tourism industry was resilient and the government was sparing no efforts to revitalise the sector which had a key role to play in the country's economic recovery and stability.
Al Mansoori said that in the Middle East in particular, travelling closer and for shorter periods and demanding value for money seemed to have been accentuated during the post-crisis period.
SLTPB opened its office in Dubai in May 2008 to maximise the opportunities emerging throughout the Middle East.
www.bernama.com
Sixteen culinary experts to delight Lankans with mouth-watering cuisines
The much awaited event promising all food enthusiasts an unbelievable experience will be supported by HSBC, the world's local bank.
HSBC, having sponsored the event for the fifth consecutive year will offer all its credit card customers a 50% discount at Hawkers Street from 16-18 July.
The open air public event will begin from 6.30.pm onwards along Green Path, Colombo 7 offering patronizes a festive atmosphere with live music, cookery demonstration, Sri Lankan crab cooking competitions, cookery sessions with signature chefs along with cultural performances throughout the night. Convenient parking will also be made available for visitors on the adjacent roads starting from near Alexandra Place.The festival will set the stage for both locals and foreigners alike, to enjoy a variety of delectable cuisines ranging from Indian, South African, Malaysian, Indonesian, Philippines, Italian, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Mediterranean, Singaporean, Chinese, Egyptians and Sri Lankan at partner hotels.
Coinciding with the Food Festival, HSBC will re-launch its popular "Cardholder Dines Free" promotion at 16 partner hotels and restaurants from 19 - 31 July 2010. This would be the biggest extraction for cardholders to enjoy sensational dining offers at Hilton Colombo, Hilton Residencies, Ceylon Continental, Galadari, Mango Tree, Raja Bojun, Cinnamon Lakeside (from 19-25 July only), Cinnamon Grand (from 19-25 July only), Galle Face Hotel, Taj Samudra Hotel, Mount Lavinia Hotel, Ramada, Siam House, Sizzlers, Water's Edge and Grand Oriental Hotel.
Sarit Wijeyekoon, Head of Personal Financial Services at HSBC said, "As the world's local Bank we are delighted to bring a truly global culinary experience to Sri Lanka, with the partnership of Sri Lanka Tourism. This is perhaps the biggest culinary extravaganza our customers can experience. Likewise it has been a good opportunity for Sri Lankan hoteliers to understand and learn of other global cuisines, and the role that spices play in creating mouth watering specialties. As for our loyal customers, we are happy to have delivered a promise of offering greater value by bringing flavours from across the globe at unbeatable prices."
The World Spice Food festival is the biggest culinary event to promote the rich spices of Sri Lanka. Held for the fifth year the event promises to cater to every palette including spice tea, spice ice cream, spice cocktails and many more other attractions.
www.dailymirror.lk
Sunday, 4 July 2010
Sri Lanka expects record tourist arrivals this year: official
S Kalaiselvam, director general of Sri Lanka Tourism, said tourist arrivals could hit a record high this year if the rapid increase in the number of visitors continues.
He was speaking at a news conference held to announce the World Spice Food Festival starting on July 16 in Colombo.
Sri Lanka’s ethnic war ended in May 2009, resulting in an immediate revival in the number tourists visiting the island.
Hotels have begun refurbishing their properties and expanding to cater to the anticipated influx of visitors.
The island’s highest number of arrivals so far was in 2004 when it had 550,000 visitors.
Kalaiselvam said the country has accommodation to cater to only 750,000 tourists a year and that 3,000 more rooms would be built by 2012.
www.lankabusinessonline.com
SriLankan and SIM Industries to set up Sri Lanka’s first Full-Flight Simulator Centre
The 10-year agreement, which will see the commissioning of an Airbus A320 Flight Simulator on SriLankan Airlines’ premises early next year, was signed at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) recently by SriLankan Airlines’ CEO Manoj Gunawardena and SIM Industries’ CEO Frank Uit den Bogaard, in the presence of The Netherlands’ Ambassador to Sri Lanka Leoni Cuelenaere.
SriLankan Airlines’ CEO Manoj Gunawardena said: "SriLankan Airlines is closely supporting our Government’s strategy to transform Sri Lanka into a Hub for Knowledge and a Hub for Aviation in South Asia. The launch of this full-flight simulator in partnership with globally reputed SIM Industries will definitely take us a long way towards these goals."
SriLankan Airlines (www.srilankan.aero) already has a strong reputation as a ‘nursery’ for the airline industry, and Asia’s airlines have hundreds of pilots, cabin crew, aircraft engineers and airport staff who first learned their trade at SriLankan. Airlines in India, Oman, Pakistan and the Maldives often send their staff for training by Sri Lanka ’s National Carrier.
Frank Uit den Bogaard, CEO of SIM Industries, said: "SIM Industries is delighted to partner SriLankan Airlines in this long-term venture. We have been looking at opportunities in South Asia for some time, and there is no doubt that Colombo is an excellent strategic location to serve the region’s airlines. We will provide a sophisticated flight simulator that will reduce training costs for airlines in South Asia, and even neighboring regions such as the Middle East and Far East."
SIM Industries BV (www.sim-industries.com) is a manufacturer and operator of flight simulators with a global reputation for full flight simulators that have the most advanced components from aircraft manufacturers. SIM Industries simulators deliver unsurpassed realism, user friendliness, safety, reliability and performance.
Up to now, trainee pilots in airlines across South Asia have been obliged to travel to Hong Kong, Singapore or Dubai for flight simulator training, which is an integral part of flying training. Apart from the cost of hiring simulator time, airlines also incur many additional costs such as hotel accommodation and sending trainee pilots to the Middle East or Far East.
As with all of SIM Industries’ simulators the one at BIA will be certified to ‘Level D’ standard, the highest level of sophistication which makes it identical to that of an aircraft.
Both SriLankan and SIM Industries will market the simulator among the region’s aviation industry. The simulator will also serve cadet pilots at SriLankan, which has begun expanding its aircraft fleet and recruiting new pilots to serve Sri Lanka’s booming tourism industry.
A Full Flight Simulator is a completely operational replica of an aircraft cockpit, and provides the full experience of all types of situations faced while flying. These range from simple takeoff and landing, to all types of emergency situations, and train pilots to make quick decisions and accurate judgements under pressure and handle flight procedures in an orderly manner, no matter what the circumstances. They are mounted on movable platforms that simulate the actual motion of an aircraft in any desired situation.
www.island.lk
Friday, 2 July 2010
SriLankan Airlines named ‘Airline of the Year’
SriLankan Holidays, the National Carrier's leisure arm, picked up the award for ‘Outbound Tour Operator of the Year’, also for the second consecutive time.
The National Carrier has long been in the forefront of promoting Sri Lanka as a travel destination around the world, and brought in nearly half of the 447,890 foreign tourists who visited Sri Lanka in 2009, three times as many as the second placed airline, and five times as many as the airline in third place.
This was in addition to carrying the vast majority of Sri Lankans who travel abroad, including those in the leisure, labour, business, student, pilgrim, and government travel sectors; plus hundreds of thousands of foreign travellers who transit Colombo en route to other destinations.
The airline's multi-faceted promotional efforts to promote tourism into Sri Lanka include campaigns on-board, at travel marts, and specialised brochures, posters, hoardings, the internet, newspapers, radio, and television. It also provides special travel fares and packages, particularly during the off-season.In 2009 the airline completed the acquisition of Airbus A320 aircraft to modernise its narrowbody fleet.
The Presidential Awards were presented at a glittering ceremony at the BMICH in Colombo on 15 June, and were organised by the Ministry of Economic Development in partnership with Sri Lanka Tourism.
The airline's multi-faceted promotional efforts to promote tourism into Sri Lanka include campaigns on-board, at travel marts, and specialised brochures, posters, hoardings, the internet, newspapers, radio, and television. It also provides special travel fares and packages, particularly during the off-season.
SriLankan is about to extend its global route network to 49 destinations in 31 countries, with the launch of services to Shanghai on 1st July. The airline works in partnership with the country's hoteliers, tour operators, and especially the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau and the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, in promoting tourism and enhancing the country's image overseas. This includes a continuous series of events targeted at the leisure, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions), adventure, sports and other tourism segments.
The airline is also in the midst of a major diversification effort which includes the impending re-launch of its SriLankan Air Taxi domestic service; strengthening of both outbound and inbound tourism through SriLankan Holidays; providing ground handling services and in-flight catering for more and more airlines at BIA; and turning Sri Lanka into a regional hub for aircraft maintenance and aviation related training. The airline this month entered into a partnership to set up a Full Flight Simulator Centre in Katunayake for the training of pilots in the South Asian region.
SriLankan Holidays has become a major player in both inbound and outbound tourism, offering travellers a 'World of Memories' through its signature all-inclusive tailor-made packages to more than 30 cities in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
www.dailymirror.lk
Sri Lanka’s golden beaches a major tourist attraction
Destination Sri Lanka reported a major influx of Arab travellers as Middle East Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka surged 50 per cent in January, 2010 compared to the same period last year, according to statistics compiled by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and announced by the Middle East office of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board (SLTPB).
For the sun-sea-and-sand enthusiast, Sri Lanka offers unbeatable value. Due to its location along the equatorial zone it has a tropical climate which varies with the regions and the seasons. Summer temperatures range between 24 to 26 degrees Celsius and sunny, blue skies are virtually guaranteed. The island nation offers several public beaches as well as five-star beach hotels and resorts.
“A full range of water sports can be enjoyed in Sri Lanka, including swimming, sailing, windsurfing, scuba diving, water-skiing and deep sea fishing. Equipment for all sports can be hired and professional instruction is available throughout the coastal areas,” said Heba Al Ghais Al Mansoori, Middle East Director of SLTPB based in Dubai.
Divers in Sri Lanka are treated to some of the most spectacular reefs in the world as also large schools of a variety of colourful fish. The islands coastlines have dozens of famous ship wrecks dating back centuries and also coral reefs, under sea caves & rock formations all around the island.
When even the most avid sun-bather needs a break from the beach, Sri Lanka offers a variety of options to unwind. Comfortable tours of the city are also possible with air-conditioned coaches and multi-lingual guides introducing you to the island’s unique culture.
All of the above attractions are combined with the highest standards of luxury and comfort and service with a smile. There are more than five thousand rooms available in graded establishments along the southern coast offering a wide range of options for high spenders as well as budget travellers.
A visit to Sri Lanka would hardly be complete without sampling the wild natural beauty of the country including the scenic waterfalls, spice and tea plantations, bird and wildlife reserves, tropical jungle excursions and the luxurious yet eco-friendly accommodation.
www1.albawaba.com
Saudi tourists to Sri Lanka increase
The Embassy of Sri Lanka arranged for a group of Saudi journalists to visit Colombo on a familiarization tour in collaboration with the tourism promotion bureau and SriLankan Airlines. Sri Lankan Ambassador Ahmed A. Jawad told Arab News that the aim of the program was to attract more tourists from Saudi Arabia.
The journalists will visit places including the north central part of the country, which boasts a rich history dating back thousands of years.
They are also expected to visit the northeast town of Trincomalee, which has some of the finest natural harbours and hot springs in the world, and Sigiriya, a fifth century UNESCO world heritage site that is 6,200 feet above sea level, among others.
They will also visit the Pinnewela Elephant Orphanage, a uniquely successful project that has been preserving this endangered species since 1984. The orphanage boasts the largest herd of rehabilitated elephants in the world.
The Kingdom lifted its travel advisory in February following the end of the conflict.
www.isria.com
Dr. Nalaka Godahewa takes over Sri Lanka Tourism
Former CEO of Sri Lanka Insurance and Director of Imperial College of Business Studies, Nalaka Godahewa, successfully completed his PhD at the University of South Australia.
The Research Degree Committee of the University of South Australia accepted his thesis on 'The impact of market orientation on the business performance of manufacturing organizations' based on the recommendations from examiners from University of Sydney, University of Adelaide and University of Western Australia.
An old Anandian, Dr. Godahewa obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering at the University of Moratuwa and read for an MBA at the Post Graduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He is also a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of UK and also a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing of UK.
Immediately after graduating from University of Moratuwa with an honors degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering, he joined Unilever Ceylon. He held the positions of Head of Business Development of Unilever, Marketing Director of Suntel, General Manager of MAS Shadowline, CEO of two MAS overseas operations in Far East and Sub Saharan Africa before taking over as CEO of Sri Lanka Insurance.
www.dailymirror.lk
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