Sri Lanka - OutboundHolidays

A land of limitless beauty – Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka celebrated its 63rd Independence Day last week, which was also the second Independence Day in a terrorism-free country. The event marked not only the defeat of nearly 133 years of British rule, but also the remarkable sense of living in a truly peaceful country.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has accepted that tourism is a vital area and has identified this sector as the effectively capable driving force for the country’s socio economic development. Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa has vowed ‘to take every possible effort to turn the tourism industry into the highest foreign income earner of the country’.

With this backdrop, former Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lanka Insurance, Dr Nalaka Godahewa has taken over the responsibility as the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman to make “Sri Lanka’s golden beaches a major tourist attraction for the real sun seeker”.

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau, which has launched the “Visit Sri Lanka 2011”, aims to attract over 700,000 tourists this year, with 12-themed events spread across the year, while the government expects a target of 2.5 million tourists by 2016.

Twelve themes will be promoted during each month this year, symbolising the 12 letters in “Wonder of Asia”. These 12 themes include beaches, sports and adventure, MICE, people and culture, religious tourism, weddings and honeymoons, body and mind wellness, heritage, nature and wildlife, community and education, culinary and shopping and entertainment.

Sri Lanka Tourism also plans to get the involvement and the support of the domestic tourism market to develop these products by the end of this year. With the help of the locals, the idea is to create a safe and beautiful environment to the visiting tourist.

Sri Lanka was earlier known as a beach destination. However with the events planned for this year and the products created surrounding the events and themes, the intention is to highlight the various products that could cater to different market segments the world over.

For a small island the tourist sites in Sri Lanka is limitless.

It is always advisable to contact a travel guide before visiting places because there are different activities available during different times. One good example is the Kandy pageant [Esala Perahera] which is held once a year. Visiting Kandy during this festival is a great experience.

The Top Five

1. Sigiriya

One of the world heritage sites and considered the eighth wonder of the world, Sigiriya is the most visited site in Sri Lanka. It is a fortress built on top of a 350 metre high rock and the surrounding gardens and the irrigation system is considered a great feat during the time Sigiriya was built. It is also world renowned for its frescoes which are found in some part of the rock walls. Another reason why Sigiriya is so popular is that it is just a day’s visit from Colombo, the main business city of the country. So for a one day getaway Sigiriya is great destination.

2. Ancient Cities of Anuradhapura and Pollonnaruwa

Sri Lanka is a country which has a recorded history dating back to 2,500 years. Ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Pollonnaruwa are considered the first two capitals of Sri Lanka in the days when the country was ruled by kings. There are many historical sites to be visited in both these cities and remains of old castles and temples are all around the cities.

3. Sacred City of Kandy and surrounding areas

Temple of the tooth relic or “Dalada Maligawa” as it is known in Sinhala holds a tooth of the Buddha and is a sacred destination for Buddhists all over the world. The temple is a majestic building with gold plated roofs, huge walls with elephant carvings and beautiful paintings and carvings inside the temple. There are guide books and video guides available if one is interested in a guided tour. Although Kandy is famous for the Temple of the Tooth Relic there are many other temples and ancient places that can be visited in the surrounding area. Ambekka temple is famous for its wooden carvings with every wood column supporting the temple having a unique carving. There is also the Gadaladeniya temple with its stone carving and old manuscripts. Another popular tourist destination on the way to Kandy is the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage where visitors can see elephants in a semi wild life environment. Another great place to visit while in Kandy is the botanical gardens in Peradeniya which boasts of beautiful floras and many rare plants.

4. Galle Fort

Galle fort was originally built by the Portuguese but it was the Dutch who modified it and made it the impressive fort as it is today. It was built mainly to control the cinnamon trade but later it served as a fortress to hold off invasions. Inside the Galle Fort one can find few of the most preserved building from the colonial era with the beautiful churches being prime examples. Remains of the old guns, fortifications and the canals dug to make Galle Fort and impregnable fortress are still visible.

5. Yala National Park

The Yala National Park is the most famous national park in Sri Lanka and it is definitely the one most visited by tourists. Watching animals in there natural habitat is one of the main reasons tourists come to Sri Lanka and in that sense Yala is the best due to its wide variety of animals. [Yala is famous for having the highest density of wild leopards found anywhere in the world, with chances of seeing one almost assured]

Going Beyond five

Nuwara Eliya

In 1819, during the British colonial era, a few Britishers on a hunting expedition in the hill country spotted the site where the present day Nuwara Eliya town stands 1890 metres above sea level and decided to set up a health resort for their use. It was Sir Samuel Baker who later converted it to a holiday resort with a touch of an English village which earned it the name ‘Little England’ where the temperature sometimes drops down to 9°C. The 18-Hole golf course is very popular with locals and foreign tourists. Hakgala Botanical Gardens, a few kilometres away is an added attraction.

Sinharaja Rainforest

Sinharaja forest reserve is one of the least disturbed and biologically unique lowland rain forests in Sri Lanka. This forest covers an extent of about 11,187 hectares from east to west. The length of the forest is about 21km and width from North to South is about 3.7km.

It was declared a Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) in 1978, as representative of tropical humid evergreen forest Eco system in Sri Lanka and has been recognised by Unesco as part of its International Network of Biosphere reserves.

Peradeniya Botanical Garden

Situated in the hill capital Kandy, a visit to this garden will provide a spectacle of extraordinary beauty and absorbing interest for any nature lover and casual visitor.

Horton Plains National Park

Horton Plains National Park is in the highlands of the country belonging to the central province. This is the highest plateau in the country. This was declared a National Park in 1988. The park area is 3,160 hectares. The second and third highest mountains of the country – Kirigalpotta and Thotupola – are found within the borders of the park. Three major rivers of the country start from this area – Kelani, Walawe and the Mahaweli, the longest river of the country.

Golden Beaches

Negombo

A fishing town located 35km from Colombo and 6km from island’s main International Airport. [Negombo offers lots more than just beach, but] the beauty of the beach and surrounding star class hotels are a major attraction for tourists.

Beruwela

Beruwela is located 55km from Colombo is the starting point of 130km long southern coast also a main fishing centre.

Bentota

Located in south of the country, 62km from Colombo has romantic scenic hotels and popular for wind surfing and water skiing.

Unawatuna

Described as the most beautiful beach by visitors, Unawatuna is one of the best scuba diving locations in Sri Lanka. It is also famous for wind surfing and some of the most authentic sea food in Sri Lankan style. The jungle beach, Roomassala, is also an interesting place.

Mirissa

Mirissa is a beautiful small rocky beach which is calm, relaxing and almost private. Deep sea fishing, river trips, snorkelling and bird watching are activities one could engage in Mirissa.

Weligama

Weligama is a unique bay and beach with a wide and long sandy beach located in Matara district of the southern province close. The tiny island once owned by Frenchman Count de Maunay has a beautiful house on it. The bay is famous for its remarkable fishermen who engage in stilt fishing,

Hikkaduwa

The place located in the south of the country, 100km from Colombo, was the first area to be developed for tourism. The famous coral reef and scuba diving spots are major attractions for tourists.

Waterfalls

Aberdeen Waterfalls

A mere 5Km away from Laxapana you will find the 322 feet high Aberdeen Falls.

Baker’s Falls

Baker’s Falls at Horton Plains gets its water from the Belihul Oya. It is close to World’s End. The icy waters glisten in the sunshine amid a backdrop of mountain terrain and deep valleys. If one is lucky a visitor may see the rare black monkey and rhododendrons in bloom.

Bambarakanda Ella

Discovered by Sir Samuel Baker and a good stopover on the way to the World’s End. The tallest is the Bambarakanda Falls which cascades down 263 metres. It is only four miles away from the Colombo-Bandarawela road in a forest glade, but it is not visited often, though well worth the trip.

Bopath Ella

“Bopath Ella”, not like many of the others of her kind, finds her abode in a busy surrounding in the village called Devipahala off Kuruwita on A4 High Level Road close to Ratnapura. Being within 3 hours driving distance from the capital, it thus claims the honour of having the highest turn-over of enthusiasts seeking respite from the grimy and monotonous town life.

Devon Waterfalls

With a peculiar appearance imparted to it by its formation in three continuous cascades, Devon Falls pours down to the valley beneath not a long distance away from its brother the “St Clairs”.

Diyaluma Waterfall

With an appearance and location which often make people believe that it is the highest waterfall in the island, this lanky waterfall pours its way down and flows toward Kirindi Oya underneath a bridge on the highway from Beragala to Wellawaya. Its geographical location by one of the mostly used highways spanning the Hill Country to the Plains speaks for its reputation not only here but in other parts of the world as well.

WildLife

Udawalawe National Park

Located approximately 200km south-east of Colombo and is a major eco tourism destination in Sri Lanka. It is most famous for the many elephants that roam (about 400 in total). During a visit, it is not unusual to see whole herds of adults and young elephants – feeding or bathing and playing in the water.

Wilpattu National Park

In 1905, the designated area in Wilpattu was declared a sanctuary. Thereafter it was upgraded to national park status on February 25, 1938. The park is located 30km west of Anuradhapura and spans the border between the North Central and North Western Province.

Bundala National Park

Bundala National Park is an internationally important wintering ground for migratory water birds in Sri Lanka. Bundala harbours 197 species of birds, the highlight being the Greater Flamingo, which migrate in large flocks. In 2005 the national park was designated as a biosphere reserve by Unesco, the fourth biosphere reserve in Sri Lanka.

-Thanks: Peninsula

Sri Lanka is the latest hotspot on the travellers…

With the new peace cemented, Sri Lanka is the latest hotspot on the travellers trail. There I have bumped into many friends and familiar faces last spotted on the W1 cocktail party circuit including Gillian Anderson and Paul Simon. If you want to go unseen, I escape to a little beach retreat in Sri Lanka in the still undiscovered and less fashionable coast north of Colombo.

I have been coming to Sri Lanka for nearly 15 years and love everything about it from the egg hoppers for breakfast (egg baked in a sort of rice flour pancake) and to the jungly hinterland, the Buddhist vibe and the welcoming eccentricity of the people. Alandkuda is four mud hut cabanas and two villas made from saffron coloured polished cement and covered in palm-frond cadjan. You get used to the lack of hot water. Outdoor showers pour from bamboo pipes concealed in the top of palm trees and taps made from shells release water into old beaten copper sinks. The most spectacular feature is the swimming pool, a forty-metre strip of jade coloured water surrounded by polished samara cement, stretching straight from the ambalama towards the sea and the horizon and lit with fibre optics at night when the pinholes of light in the pool reflect the constellations of the night sky above.

My sister went out on one of the daily boat trips organised by the hotel and motored between a group of 5,000 dolphins; babies and mothers riding alongside, pirouetting at the prow, rocking and ricocheting off the waves. She said it was one of the best experiences of her life. I missed the 6.30am boat call on that day and went out two subsequent mornings where, instead, I was lashed by rain and basked about on high metallic seas. It brought all out my latent feelings of sibling injustices.

Catherine Fairweather

Bazaar Travel Editor Catherine Fairweather scopes out the world’s most stylish hotpots – harpersbazaar.co.uk

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Sri Lanka’s east coast wakes up to tourism

The only people who were never frightened by the civil war were the surfers. No matter what, they always came here to Arugam Bay on Sri Lanka’s south-eastern coast.

Surfers like Jason, in his mid-20s, with bleached dreadlocks and a full beard, his chest tattooed. The Australian doesn’t need long to consider what has changed in the half-moon bay since the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war in May 2009.

‘Now a lot more girls are coming here,’ he says, but without even the hint of a smile.

Now, many more tourists are expected to follow them. There is a lot of money on the line and this worries Jason and the others. After nearly 40 years of civil war, the palm tree-lined beaches ranging from Arugam Bay in the south to Nilaveli in the north are waking up from a lengthy slumber.

Arugam Bay remains an idyllic destination for the backpacker crowd. At one end of the bay, surfers paddle out to look for the next perfect wave, while at the other end, water buffaloes are grazing in the grass. But now, there’s a gold-rush fever taking over the place.

‘Many people now want to get their foot in the door of the gold mine,’ says Merete Scheller, who together with her husband bought a piece of land and built a hotel on it – 28 years ago.

Mohamed Raheem is now afraid that the mistakes made elsewhere, in other former natural paradises, will be repeated in Arugam Bay. ‘They have shown us the plans for huge blocks of hotels made of concrete,’ says the president of the Arugam Bay Tourist Association. ‘But you can already find this in other places.’

A rough idea of what the government is thinking is provided in the ‘Eastern Province Development Action Plan’ which the Tourism Ministry has published. Large-sized hotels, new airports and better roads are planned to give a boost to tourism. One of the major projects is at Passekudah, now a bumpy, six-hour bus ride north of Arugam Bay.

A sign lists the attractions of the ‘National Holiday Resort’ which one day is to rise up from the swampy land: top-ranking hotels, restaurants, an aquarium, a shopping bazaar, a sports complex, and an open air theatre are foreseen.

Everything is to be completed in one and a half years, says a vendor in his lemonade stand located behind the beach. Some 1,500 tourists are to be provided international-level accommodation in 14 hotels.

Up till now, it is mainly only domestic tourists who are splashing about in the shallow waters. The bay’s surrounding land gently meets the sea here, making the shallow waters ideal for guests from Colombo or Kandy, many of whom do not know how to swim.

Vahid is one such visitor who together with his family has already come here several times since the war ended. They only visit for the weekend.

‘From Kandy, it is only seven hours,’ he said, giving a travel time which by Sri Lankan standards is just a short hop. The people come in order to finally see the eastern part of the country which they had not dared to travel into for more than 30 years.

It’s certainly not due to a lack of hospitality that so far not as many tourists as had been expected have yet to visit the kilometres- long beaches of Passekudah and Kalkudah. But what’s on offer is not yet enough.

There is a lack of the fundamental things like electricity and water supplies, complains Shiva Satkunam, the manager of a bungalow- style hotel. ‘The people expect good roads, comfortable buses and hotels, standards like what they have back home.’

Work is going forward at the ‘Simla Inn’ not far away. ‘My daughter is just now building six new rooms,’ says 67-year-old Miss Victoria, pointing to a courtyard where chickens are pecking away at the ground.

For the past 32 years the Tamil family have run a small hotel here and did not even close down when rebels attacked the local police station in 1990. But when the late 2004 tsunami swept away her house and her husband, she started all over again, with two guest rooms.

Miss Victoria isn’t afraid of the new competition. ‘Only the rich people go to the new hotels. Normal people come to me,’ she says. ‘They (other hotels) have marble and fine butlers, but that is only for show. Their food isn’t any good.’

And good food is very important to her, she says, leading a visitor through a small vegetable garden. ‘Here is where I grow aubergines, lentils and sweet potatoes,’ Miss Victoria says, ingredients from which she cooks curries.

On Pigeon Island women in colourful saris stand gossiping with each other. It’s a weekend and shuttle boats are bringing many local visitors to the island paradise. After just a few thrusts of their flippers, snorkellers quickly reach the coral gardens and can watch the sharks swim in elegant circles in the reefs.

For those who want to go yet deeper, the first diving schools have opened up on the beaches of Uppuveli and Liaveli.

‘So far, Sri Lanka is not known as a place for a scuba diving vacation,’ diving instructor Jayantha admits. But the customers will be coming, of that he is certain – because of the underwater world, but above all because of the fine-sand beaches being gently washed by the sea. It’s like bathing in a swimming pool, only much nicer. (DPA)

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Citrus Leisure to construct waterfront luxury villas at Kalpitiya,…

Colombo, Sri Lanka — Citrus Leisure PLC, formally Hotel Reefcomber PLC has recently acquired 2 separate plots of land and planning permission for a four star high-end resort comprising 28 water front luxury villas, and a 150 room hotel in Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka. The water front villas will take advantage of the 700 meter beach front at Santhoduwa – Kalpitiya, a stock exchange filing said this week.

The company has finalised the purchase of land called Santhoduwa at Santhoduwa Village in Akkarai Pattu within the Secretariat Division and Pradeshiya Sabha limits of Kalpitiya for a little more than UK£400.000. The land extent is around 42.5 acres.

Citrus Leisure PLC also entered into a 99 years lease rental agreement with Asia Sports Management (Pvt.) Ltd. amounting to £325.000 for a 35 acre plot of land also situated in Santhoduwa, the stock exchange filing said.

Hotels in Sri Lanka

Kenyan Airways to launch direct flights to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka and Kenya have just signed an agreement to allow Kenyan airways to launch direct air services to Colombo.

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Kenya J.P. Dissanayake and Kenyan Transport Minister Amos Kimunya signed the bilateral air services agreement which grants Kenyan Airways access to Sri Lankan skies, Sri Lanka’s state-run TV, ITN reported.

The Kenyan minister of transport said the agreement has laid the framework for direct access to the two economies that offer a combined market of over 60 million people, where the launching of air links between the two countries would immensely benefit the airline.

Further according to the Minister the agreement will pave the way for increased bilateral trade opportunities between the two countries, especially trade in rubber products, processing, and packaging of tea and the textile industry.

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner was of the view that Kenya is an important getaway into East Africa and the agreement could be used to encourage more business into the region.

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Colombo International Airport to undergo major expansion

Sri Lanka is a country on the move, and while the western world is experiencing frightful economic times, Sri Lanka is seeing steady economic development and ascendance from a third-world nation into a middle-income economy (2nd world) within the last year.

After completely annihilating the ruthless Tamil Tigers who waged a blood thirsty separatist war for 30 year in May 2009, Sri Lanka has rapidly set upon the task of developing the war ravaged northern and eastern regions of the country. The whole country too is reaping the benefits of peace time, with new infrastructure projects including a large sea port and an international airport being built in Hambantota, in the deep south of the country.

Tourism has benefited hugely since the end of the war too and foreign investments are pouring in to the sector. Infrastructure development in the sector is booming and with it there is also a need to update the existing Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake. Phase one of the expansion has already begun, and is now nearing completion. A second phase of expansion to the existing facilities at Katunayake is to begin in 2012 with an aim to increase both passenger and cargo handling capacity.

The second phase to begin in 2012 is estimated at USD350 million and will include the widening of the existing runway and taxiways, mainly to accommodate the Airbus A380 aircraft. A new state-of-the-art passenger terminal is also being built with separate sections for arrivals and departures. The new terminal will feature 8 boarding gates, 16 boarding bridges and a separate dedicated gate with 2 further passenger boarding bridges specifically for A380 services.

The expansion is designed to double the airport’s passenger handling capacity to 12 million, while also expanding cargo handling capacity to 500.000m from existing 250.000m.

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Arab holidaymakers flock to Sri Lanka

Arab travellers to Sri Lanka increased by 58% in the first ten months of the year according to Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau’s (SLTPB) Middle East office. Statistics compiled by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority indicate that the growth from the Middle East is higher than the overall growth in arrivals to Sri Lanka which is pegged at 43.5%.

“Sri Lanka is witnessing a dramatic rise in visitors which in turn has enabled vast development of Sri Lanka’s existing tourism infrastructure with new hotels and better road networks currently underway island-wide to cope with the destinations increasing popularity,” remarked Ms Heba Al Mansoori, Middle East Director of SLTPB.

Ms Al Mansoori noted that several hotel giants are undertaking expansion, refurbishment and major re-development plans in order to meet increased demand for hotel rooms. “All this will help accommodate the exponential increase in tourist arrivals.”

Several development projects in the East are currently underway which was previously inaccessible. Three areas which are of focus are Pasikudah, Kucheveli and Kalpitiya. Many hotel projects are in progress and by the year 2011/2012 we hope to have added 1,000 rooms.

In addition other development is also in progress in the rest of the island. We just opened the new Port in the South of the country and a new Airport will be soon opened as well in the South.

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 the opening, 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, heritage and culture sites, relaxing at a spa, or simply enjoying the cuisine.

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Sri Lanka Tourism revenue up 62 percent in 2010

Sri Lanka’s tourism revenue hit a record high in the first ten months of 2010, with October arrivals jumping 39 percent as the country continues to enjoy a post-war surge, tourism board data showed on Wednesday.

Earnings from tourism have jumped 61.8 percent in the first 10 months of this year to a record $437.9 million, the central bank’s latest data shows. The previous record of $416.8 million was set in 2004 when a peace accord between the government and separatist Tamil Tigers was in place. Arrivals have risen every month since the government defeated the Tigers in May 2009.

The hotel and travel index .CSEHT on the Colombo Stock Exchange has almost tripled since then, outpacing the overall stock index’s .CSE near-doubling.

Tourism is one of the main foreign exchange earners of Sri Lanka’s $42 billion economy along with remittances, garments, and tea. Tourism revenue was $326 million in 2009, according to the revised numbers given by the tourism board. Following table shows tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka:

* The government expects arrivals to hit a record high of 600,000 this year, exceeding a previous peak of 566,202 in 2004.

* In the first 10 months, arrivals from North America surged 66.5 percent year-on-year.

* Visitors from Western Europe, the island nation’s largest market, have risen 49.3 percent year-on-year.

* Arrivals from the Middle East rose 58.0 percent.

* Tourist arrivals from East Asia, South Asia, and Australasia have risen over 33 percent.

* Sri Lanka has imposed a tax of $20 per room night on five-star hotels if they fail to charge a minimum rate of $125.

* Sri Lanka is targeting 2.5 million arrivals and $2 billion in earnings by 2016.

Ceylon Hotels Corporation to refurbish two top properties

Ceylon Hotels Corporation PLC (CHC), a member of the Galle Face group of companies, plans to invest heavily ahead of the widely expected tourism boom despite substantial accumulated losses in its balance sheet. The company’s Chairman, Mr. Lakshman Samarasinghe, said in the recently released annual report for the year ended March 31, 2010 that the CHC has now commenced refurbishing Tissa Resort which will cost approximately Rs.200 million in time for the World Cup and Lihiniya Surf Hotel which will cost approximately Rs.300 million.

“At Tissa all rooms will be upgraded to 4-star level while the kitchen, public areas will be refurbished. A new mechanized laundry, sewer and water treatment plants will be installed. A computerization system will also be installed,” Samarasinghe said. “At Lihiniya Surf all 88 rooms will be upgraded to 4-star level while public areas will be refurbished and air-conditioned. There will be a fully equipped kitchen while a fully mechanized laundry and a computerized system will be installed.”

He said that hotel, rest houses and eateries and snack bars after refurbishment will be re-branded as CHC Prestige, CHC Heritage, CHC Rest and CHC Avanhala.

The company has already begun investing in its string of well located rest houses countrywide with ten rooms at Tissamaharama refurbished at a cost of Rs.6.4 million with substantial investment at the Kitulgala Rest House too.

The Ambepussa Rest House and Avanhala was re-launched in July/August last year after a Rs.9 million refurbishment and the company has recruited an experienced hotelier as Vice President Strategy and Development, directly in charge of refurbishing CHC properties.

During the year under review CHC posted a group loss of Rs.39.1 million, down from a loss of Rs.86.6 million a year earlier while at company level, the bottom line read a loss of Rs.39.4 million against a loss of Rs.89.6 million the previous year.

Revenue was up both at group and company level to Rs.535.9 million and Rs.325.8 million from the previous year’s Rs.486 million and Rs.318.1 million.

CHC has a stated capital of Rs.1.22 billion, reserves of Rs.4 billion and accumulated losses of Rs.268.7 million.

Total assets were running at Rs.6.49 billion while total liabilities stood at Rs.763.5 million.

As at March 31, 2010, group net assets per share stood at Rs.27.57, down from Rs.28.32 a year earlier while the company’s net assets per share stood at Rs.8.59, down from Rs.8.98 the previous year.

Curlew (Pvt) Ltd with 52.54%, the Galle Face Hotel Co. Ltd with 34.73% (in two accounts) and Cyril Gardiner Ltd with 3.39% are the major shareholders of CHC. Curlew too is a Gardiner company.

Refreshingly Sri Lanka targets UK tourists

One of the highlights at last weeks World Travel Market in London, was a campaign launched by Sri Lanka Tourism (SLT) to woo western and UK tourists back to her beautiful shores. The campaign titled “Refreshingly Sri Lanka” is designed to re-introduce the country as a safe tourist destination, after the government defeated separatist forces and brought to an end 30 years of conflict.

The marketing campaign was timed nicely, as the country has received lots of good press recently, and western travel agents are flocking to get a piece of what Sri Lanka has to offer their travellers. Sri Lanka was named Best Value Holiday Destination 2010 in the Post Office Travel Money Review, released in September, and positioned as the No1 emerging luxury destination for 2011 by the New York Times.

The UK is second only to India as a source market for SLT, and although UK tourist numbers are currently lower than their Indian counterparts, UK tourists stay longer and spend more. This makes the yield per visitor higher as a result, and in turn makes the UK traveller the main focus of the “Refreshingly Sri Lanka” campaign.

Since the Home Office lifted all travel advisories/cautions for travellers going to Sri Lanka, the number of UK tourists has increased significantly. Although tourists were never harmed during the conflict years, travel advisories issued by several western European countries kept arrival numbers consistently around the 400,000 mark. This year (2010) overall visitor numbers have increased by 44%, UK tourists arrivals are also up 30% with forward bookings for the Christmas season indicating that UK tourists arrivals will surpass the 100,000 mark for the first time in many years.

January 2011 is also expected to see more UK tourists arrive for the Galle Literary Festival which boasts an impressive list of participants this year including the recently announced Nobel, Booker, Orange, Commonwealth and Whitbread prize winners as well as the best new, young and emerging writers.

Sri Lanka is well on her way to recovery. Even as western nations are struggling under a burden of debt, the country has seen foreign currency reserves more than triple since the end of the conflict in May 2009, and significant investments going into the tourism sector too. Global hoteliers Anantara, Six Senses Spas, Shangri-La Resorts and several others have already begun construction of new hotels and resorts on the island.

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