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Fly Jet Airways daily flights to Colombo from Delhi…

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will introduce daily direct state of the art Boeing 737-800 flights to Colombo from Mumbai and Delhi, effective tomorrow – November 5, 2010.

Flight 9W 256 will depart Mumbai daily at 0210 hours reaching Colombo at 0445 hours. On the return sector, flight 9W 255 will depart Colombo at 2045 hours and reach Mumbai at 2320 hours.

On the Colombo- Delhi sector, 9W 258 will depart Colombo at 0750 hours and reach Delhi at 1130 hours. On the return, flight 9W 257 will depart Delhi at 1305 hours and arrive at Colombo at 1640 hours.

The commencement of these two new flights between India and Sri Lanka , are in addition to the existing double daily Chennai- Colombo – Chennai services. The Airline launched International operations to Chennai- Colombo – Chennai in 2004.

With this enhanced connectivity, Colombo will now be connected to Jet Airways’ two strategic hubs – Delhi and Mumbai, thus offering its guests seamless connectivity through the two key Indian cities onto several destinations across North America, Europe, as well as destinations across the Gulf, Middle East and Far East on the Jet Airways network.

According to Mr. Sudheer Raghavan, CCO, Jet Airways, “Jet Airways is delighted to provide direct links from the financial and the national capital to the Emerald Isle, which is fast emerging as a highly rated global tourism destination. We are happy to offer seamless connections to several destinations to our guests from Colombo across our Global network through our two important gateways of Delhi and Mumbai. We are also happy at the same time to strengthen air connectivity to destinations within the SAARC region with convenient connections to both Kathmandu and Dhaka via Delhi.”

The airline will deploy the state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft, offering 8 Premiere and 162 economy class seats. Guests will also be treated to the airline’s award-winning in-flight product that is among the best in its class.

Sri Lanka is fast becoming the tourism destination for holiday and leisure traveler across the globe, known for its beaches, magnificent landscapes, ecologically-wondrous forests and abundance of wildlife.

Jet Airways is offering attractive inaugural fares as part of this launch, for which guests may get in touch with their nearest travel agent or the airline office.

*Subject to receipt of requisite approvals

Source – Jet Airways

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Sri Lanka

Location Guide hails Sri Lanka as top destination for…

When You Visit Sri Lanka, It Is Plain to See Why the World’s Best Directors Chose It as a Location — Editor

Sri Lanka has earned a rave review as a destination for movie and broadcast productions in the 2011 edition of The Location Guide, the film industry’s bible for selecting movie and commercial production locales.

The latest edition of The Location Guide featured a separate “Focus” on Sri Lanka, highlighting the island’s natural beauty, a film-friendly government and its reasonable production costs. The Guide noted Sri Lanka’s wildlife parks, central-highlands tea plantations, miles of pristine beaches and the colonial architecture found.

“Dubbed the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, my feeling is that Sri Lanka deserves this title and there is no question that it has great locations for filming and excellent production values with crew rates which would have to be considered the most competitive in the region,” Murray Ashton, the founder of the London-based The Location Guide, wrote in the latest edition.

“If you need to film anything remotely associated with the tropics, then you are in the right place.”

The annual guide has provided film and production companies, directors and producers with essential information and location contacts for filming worldwide since 1998.

Sri Lanka boasts an impressive history of filmmaking. It was the setting for such memorable movies as Bridge on the River Kwai, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Jungle Book and Tarzan the Ape Man.

“When you visit Sri Lanka, it is plain to see why the world’s best directors chose it as a location,” The Location Guide states.

Natural Beauty is just one advantage Sri Lanka offers filmmakers. The Guide also noted the abundance of talent in Sri Lanka, where 300 commercials were filmed in 2009. “The production community is also made of around 700 film professionals working across all production categories,” the guide stated.

While in Sri Lanka, Ashton was assisted by Gopi Darmaratnam of Sri Lankan film actor Ravindra Randeniya’s company, The Film Team (Pvt) Ltd. Driver Anton Gomes drove Ashton nearly 3,000 kilometers around Sri Lanka in order to complete his report.

The lack of red tape for production companies and a lack of film unions are other huge pluses for Sri Lanka, according to the guide. Sri Lanka recently established a 235-acre tele-cinema studio facility, the guide states, and the government and recently re-elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa “strongly support the film and television industries.”

Relatively few film permits are required, and those needed to film in government or historic buildings, or for street scenes, are easy to obtain with a minimum of paperwork, the guide adds.

“Sri Lanka can be considered film-friendly as government institutions increasingly realize the importance the role of filming plays in the promotion of tourism to the country,” it states.

“I am pleased that The Location Guide sees a bright future for the film industry in Sri Lanka,” said Jaliya Wickramasuriya, Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the United States. “Sri Lanka has a rich tradition of hosting a variety of film projects over the years, and we have the facilities that will make our country a world leader in film production.”

SOURCE Embassy of Sri Lanka

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Canada

North American Tour Operators re-discover Sri Lanka

As Sri Lanka gears up for the arrival of more tourists in peacetime, a campaign to showcase the island as a tourist destination of great value to potential leisure travellers in the USA and Canada was kicked-off last month.

Visitors to Sri Lanka from the USA and Canada between January – August rose by 25.2 percent and 21.1 percent respectively in 2010 compared to the same period in 2009, registering a positive swing to discover the much-talked about paradise island in the Indian Ocean. Several agents are now keen to re-discover Sri Lanka’s long denied attractions for leisure seekers and the country’s renewed appeal for the large segment of ethnic travellers, resulting from the progressive stance taken by the government to reconcile and re-build the nation.

SriLankan Airlines’ Chairman, Mr Nishantha Wickremasinghe said “the airline welcomes the move by travel and tourism promoters to win the hearts of the discerning American travellers and on behalf of the airline I pledge full support to promote Sri Lanka in the USA and Canada”.

The Chairman continued “there is no better time to invest in the North American region as SriLankan Airlines is set to expand its business in several areas including the purchase of new aircraft, introduction of new destinations, increased frequencies and the commencement of the air taxi operations”.

CEO of Sri Lanka Travel Inc. Mr Dillan Ariyawansa said “We are eager to bring Sri Lanka back on to the map as a tourism hotspot as we have kept travellers away from this little isle for too long”.

Responding to this call, and for the first time after decades, nine reputed Tour Operators from North America and Canada embarked on a whirlwind 5-day familiarisation tour conducted by United Holidays, to experience a few of Sri Lanka’s many attractions, combining the Cultural Triangle and its World Heritage Sites; Wildlife Sanctuaries; historic City of Kandy; famous Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage; salubrious tea country in Nuwara Eliya; sandy beaches of Bentota and cosmopolitan Colombo.

Sri Lanka is being recognised as a ‘new destination’, especially considering the recent article in the New York Times, which listed Sri Lanka as First, among the ’31 Top Destinations to Travel in 2010′. Similarly, the National Geographic ranked Sri Lanka second among its ‘Top 25 Places to visit in 2010’. These endorsements, among others, have triggered a renewed interest in the leisure segments in USA and Canada, which are constantly seeking new, unique and exotic places to travel.

SriLankan Airlines is currently working in tandem with its interline partners’ American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines and Malaysian Airlines to provide connections to the airline’s gateway points in Europe and the Far East. SriLankan also offers convenient onward connections between the Colombo Hub and India’s popular IT cities.

The tour group included US agents’ Expedia, Eastquest Tours, Avia Tours, Orbitz and Canada agents’ Serendib Travel 1, Voyages Skylawn, Goway Travel, Jet Travel and Voyages Professionals Canora. The agents’ tour culminated in the SriLankan Airlines’ Agents Awards Night for North America sponsored by the airline’s General Sales Agent, Sri Lanka Travel Inc. at the Galadari Hotel where the best performing agents were feted.

SriLankan Airlines together with its General Sales Agent, Sri Lanka Travel Inc. and Sri Lanka Tourism are working together on a strategic plan geared for the North American and Canadian leisure market.

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Germany

Qatar Airways now flys to Stuttgart

Qatar Airways has announced plans to expand flights to Germany with the introduction of scheduled services to Stuttgart and greater capacity to Munich next year.

Stuttgart, to be served three-times-a-week, will be the Doha-based carrier’s fourth destination in Germany. Known as the “cradle of the automobile industry”, flights to Germany’s sixth largest city will begin on 9 March 2011. At the same time, Qatar Airways will increase frequency on the Doha – Munich route from daily flights to 11 services a week using Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft.

The news comes as Qatar Airways prepares to embark on a huge European expansion drive with the launch of flights to Nice, Budapest, Bucharest and Brussels over a 10 week-period from November 2010 to January 2011.

Qatar Airways’ new flights to Stuttgart and additional services to Munich will see the airline operate 31- flights-a-week non-stop from Doha to four destinations across Germany. The carrier already serves Berlin daily and Frankfurt with 10-flights-a-week.By March next year, Qatar Airways will operate 182 flights a week to cities across Europe, one of the carrier’s key global markets.

The Airbus A319 single-aisle aircraft designated to operate the new Stuttgart route features a capacity of 110 seats – eight in Business Class and 102 in Economy. The aircraft is equipped with the state-of-the-art Oryx Entertainment system offering individual TV touch screens in each seat and over 700 audio video entertainment options.

The aircraft also features OnAir mobile telecommunication technology allowing passengers to send and receive SMS and MMS messages, as well as browse the web using their internet-enabled mobile device.

Located in southwest Germany, Stuttgart has a population of around 600,000 people with a metropolitan area of over five million inhabitants. The city is home to automobile car giants Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. Porsche is the majority shareholder of Volkswagen AG, the parent company of Volkswagen Group which owns luxury car brands Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that the German expansion was long-awaited and represented the airline’s commitment to one of Europe’s biggest and strategically important markets.

“I would like to extend my thanks to the German authorities for providing Qatar Airways with greater access to Germany which has been a largely underserved market from the Gulf,” said Al Baker.

“Munich was our first route in Germany launched in 1998 and since then we have come a long way in the German market with more routes and more frequencies to give our passengers the choice they deserve.

“Securing Stuttgart and stepping up frequency to Munich, one of our most popular German routes, is a great boon for the airline.

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Sri Lanka

The Villa Bentota by Paradise Road on DestinAsian 2010…

The DestinAsian correspondents visit dozens of new properties across Asia and Oceania and select only those that, in their esteemed opinion, excel in terms of design, location, service and value. A spot on the Luxe List represents DestinAsian’s seal of approval. On newsstands internationally and available online at www.destinasian.com, the list includes such recognized other properties such as, Armani Hotel Dubai, Aman Resorts Hangzhou, The Peninsula Shanghai, Ritz Carlton Shanghai, Leela Palace Kempinski Udaipur, Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul.

In less than a year since opening last December 2009, The Villa Bentota by Paradise Road has had the great honour of representing Sri Lanka on such internationally recognized and respected listings as both the Conde Nast US Hot List 2010 in April and now DestinAsian 2010 Luxe List. This is a huge achievement for Paradise Road, given that they ventured into the hotel trade only as recently as December 2007 with the opening of their first boutique hotel, Paradise Road Tintagel, in Colombo.

Within just 5 months of opening her doors, a review of the Paradise Road The Villa Bentota was featured in Conde Nast UK’s April edition and has since also been included in Harpers Bazaar’s UK August edition on the Sri Lankan Hot List as being the ‘Best Boutique Retreat’.

Located less than 1.5 hrs drive from Colombo, Paradise Road The Villa Bentota has also become a popular evening haunt with diners looking to enjoy The Villas beautiful beach setting and a spot of fine-dining at The Villa Café. Last week, The Villa Café was informed that it had been voted one of Asia’s finest restaurants and will be featured in The Miele Guide 2010-2011.

With the war coming to an end in Sri Lanka and development underway throughout the country, there is a positive energy buzzing and the sharp increase in tourist arrivals – 2011 is looking upbeat for all associated with the Tourist trade, and like everyone in the industry Paradise Road group of companies is looking forward to the positive change.

Paradise Road The Villa Bentota is housed in Mohotti Walauwa, an ancient ancestral home which was originally converted into Sri Lanka’s first boutique hotel in the 1970s by world renowned Sri Lankan Architect Geoffrey Bawa. Thereafter it changed hands several times before Shanth Fernando, designer and proprietor of Paradise Road, refurbished and extended the property to re-open it as Paradise Road The Villa Bentota.

With 7 rooms, 7 suites and the grand Mohotti Suite (which was rated the islands best value indulgence by Conde Nast Traveler US), the hotel now houses a The Villa Spa run by Spa Ceylon Ayurveda offering luxury ayurvedic treatments, The Villa Shop, a Paradise Road gift store – The Villa Café and The Villa Gallery, exhibiting Sri Lankan contemporary art for sale.

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Canada

Ice Hotel Quebec moves to new location

Famous the world over, the Ice Hotel in Quebec has become a must-see attraction for many visitors to the region. This year a visit is set to become even easier, with the property taking up residence in a new location just seven minutes outside downtown Quebec City.

Not only can guests sleep overnight on ice – protected from the cold by thick pelts – they can enjoy a drink in the bar, get married in one of the most spectacular ice chapels on earth, and enjoy activities such as dog sledding.

Also new for 2011 – guests can build an Igloo, but not just any igloo, a typical Quebec type of igloo called a Queenzy.

Ice Hotel

Since it opened its doors in 2001, the Hôtel de Glace has wowed over half a million visitors.

With snow archways towering over five metres tall and crystal ice sculptures standing by the warmth of the fire, North Americas only ice hotel has made a name for itself not only through its architecture and artistry, but also its warm hospitality.

Every year, the property is redesigned and rebuilt in its entirety.

With time, it has evolved with the technical and artistic wizardry of its creators.

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Sri Lanka

Gulf Air relaunches flights to Sri Lanka

Gulf Air, the Middle East international network re-launched its services to Sri Lanka, after a lapse of five years recently. Gulf Air will operate five times a week making a historic re-entry.

Gulf Air has the largest network in the Middle East with non stop flights providing onward connections.

Gulf Air also re-confirmed its partnership with Mac Air(Pvt) Limited, the airline division of John Keells Holdings PLC to provide General Sales Agency Services.

CEO Gulf Air Samer Majali said the main objective of Gulf Air’s re-launch to Sri Lanka is for added connectivity from Colombo to Bahrain and from there to Middle Eastern destinations. The other reason for the re-launch is customer demand, new opportunities since the return of political stability, massive surge in tourism growth, growing export markets, Surge in inward investment.

Gulf Air has been the favorite airline not only for thousands of Sri Lankans living and working in Bahrain but also for Bahrainis who have been flocking to this beautiful country for vacation for many years.

Gulf Air has also been a key link for many Sri Lankan businessmen exporting goods ranging from tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber to cinnamon to Bahrain and beyond in the Middle East region.

Now that peace has returned, I am glad the time has come for us to re-connect with Sri Lanka. The country is back in full action with its economy springing back to its dynamic past. I personally see there is a huge business and tourism opportunity for both countries as we recommence services.

Gulf Air first flew to Sri Lanka in 1976.

“Mac Air was extremely successful in selling Gulf Air flights which finally led to the airline operating daily into Colombo. However, after 25 years in operations the airline withdrew from this market” said President, Transportation Sector, John Keells Holdings Plc, Romesh David.

Gulf Air was established in 1950, it is the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain.The main objective of Gulf Air is to connect Bahrain to the Middle East countries and the rest of the world. The Gulf Air network stretches from Europe to Asia, connecting 44 cities in 29 countries with a fleet of 36 aircraft. They have opened 11 new destinations in 2010. Gulf Air has a near 100 connections per week within 3 hours on flights to and from Colombo. Gulf Air flies to four points in Iraq and Saudi Arabia daily and also to London, Frankfurt, Paris and Istanbul as well.

Sri Lanka

Club Hotel Dolphin invests USD5m on refurbishment

Club Hotel Dolphin Waikkal, owned by Hemas has just undergone a Rs. 530m (US$ 5m) refurbishment and is now ready to welcome visitors this forthcoming festive and winter season, as a newer and better up-market property.

General Manager Chamin Wickremasinghe said, “We’re now showcasing the hotel with its spanking new tag line – Best of Both Worlds. Club Hotel Dolphin has been endowed with a dual personality – a vibrant and active ‘PLAY’ side which sharply contrasts with its peaceful and quiet ‘PAUSE’ side. This dual concept best personifies the look and feel of the newly refurbished hotel.”

As part of its ‘PLAY’ side, Club Hotel Dolphin boasts of one of the longest pools in South Asia with its 10-member animation team including kids’ animators.

Among the activities one can choose from are kayaking on the river, horse riding, archery, beach volleyball, tennis, badminton, squash, croquette, mini golf, water volleyball, animation shows and a discotheque.

The ‘PAUSE’ side affords visitors the peace and quiet of absolute calm and privacy. The individual villas are very private enclaves. The specialty restaurant with its show kitchen bring you gourmet cuisine while spa facilities pamper you.

There is also a second swimming pool which is a designated quiet pool while special candle-lit private dinners can be arranged at any location of your choice.

As part of the refurbishment process, the cottage rooms were completely redone, and are now branded as ‘Villas’. The general footprint of the room has been made larger with all facilities such as flat screen TV, DVD player, tea/ coffee making facilities, mini bar and an in-room safe. The main building deluxe rooms have had improvements done to their soft furnishings while a mini bar and an in-room safe have also been added to each room.

Belgium

Eurostar confirms £700m fleet upgrade

Eurostar has unveiled a £700m investment program to overhaul its aging rolling stock.

The Channel Tunnel rail operator – which offers services between London, Paris and Brussels – confirmed the plans will see the company purchase ten new trainsets from German manufacturer Siemens. A complete overhaul and refurbishment of the existing fleet will also begin in 2011.

The move represents the first key initiative since the recent transformation of the Eurostar business from a partnership to a single, unified corporate entity.Eurostar was established in 1994 as a partnership between SNCF, SNCB and LCR railways, but became a single company owned by the three founders last month.

Eurostar chief executive, Nicolas Petrovic, said the transformation of Eurostar into a standalone business and the major capital investment announced today is a mark of our growth ambitions for the future.

“The combination of our new state-of-the-art trains and our refurbished fleet will assure our position as the leading rail operator between the UK and the continent and make us the obvious choice for short haul European travel.

The investment in the fleet will be funded privately by Eurostar with a combination of cash and bank financing.

Eurostar chief executive, Nicolas Petrovic, argues the move will transform the business Last month Deutsche Bahn outlined proposals to begin services through the Channel Tunnel.

The German train operator plans to offer services between the financial capitals of London and Frankfurt once safety requirements have been met.

New Trains

THe new Eurostar e3202 trains will be interoperable, allowing them to operate across the European high speed rail network.

With capacity to carry more than 900 passengers, the Eurostar e320 will have 20 per cent more seats than the existing Eurostar trains which carry 750 travellers.

Capable of a speed of 200 mph, the new trains could see journey times between London and Paris reduced to just over two hours, London to Amsterdam to under four hours and London to Geneva to around five hours.

Secretary of state for transport, Philip Hammond, said: “The transformation of Eurostar into a single entity has created a company well placed to attract the resources and investment needed to deliver a world class service. AP

Belgium

Brussels Belgium Chocolate Workshop Walking Tour

BOOK THIS TOUR – CLICK HERE!

From £55.10
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Rating: 5 star based on 5 reviews

One sweet tour you don’t want to miss – See Brussels on a four hour guided walking tour with a twist as you following the trail of Brussels’ top chocolate shops. A chocoholics dream! Your knowledgeable local guide will point out the major sights and explain the history of Brussels and why it is famous for mouth watering chocolate.

Inclusions:

* Walking Tour (2 hours)
* FREE chocolate tasting
* 45-minute chocolate workshop
* Local guide
* Conducted in English

You will enjoy free samples and tasting of delectable Belgian chocolates and learn to make sweet Belgian treats in a workshop with a “Master Chocolatier”.

Brussels Chocolate Walking Tour and Workshop allows you to learn how to make the real Belgian pralines yourself through a fun workshop. Orangettes, pralines, Easter eggs… The chocolates are made with real cream or alcoholic filling, they do not keep well, but then, you weren’t planning on keeping them for long anyway, were you?

You will love this original and extremely delicious walking tour that looks at the authentic Brussels like no other does. You will also walk through the historic old town to Grand Place, the former market square. A short stroll away stands Manneken Pis, the iconic Brussels’ statue sculpted by Jerome Duquesnoy in 1619. You’ll also see Jeanneken Pis, the square of the Sablon filled with antique shops, the Royal Galleries – seat for the oldest chocolate shop Neuhaus and many more highlights.

Schedule

Departure Point: Central Brussels
Departure Time: 9:00am
Return Details: Returns to original departure point

For additional information and bookings GO HERE!

My wife loved this tour! And our guide Mark was awesome. Since it was a private tour of just my wife and I, he tailored it just for us! He also threw in a little mini beer tour in conjunction with the chocolate tour. Made both my wife and happy! He made it one of the most enjoyable tours that we experienced in Europe this Summer. He even offered us his personal cell number to call any time if we had an issue or a question while we were on our travels! Now that is customer service to the max! He was very knowledgeable on all things Belgian, and was a pleasure to talk to while sipping good beer and eating good chocolate. The price was well worth it! We would do it again!

Reviewed by: Jerold S

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