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| Friday, 24 January 2003 |
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Multi-billion rupee mega tourism project: Modern Kotte to re-live days of glory by Tharika Goonathilake
A multi-billion rupee tourism promotion investment plan to develop and promote Sri Lanka's capital city Kotte, as an alternative tourism and entertainment area to Colombo, is in the offing under the Government's Mega City Development project. Accordingly, a five star hotel, a Rs 600 million golf course, a Rs.200 million entertainment centre based on the Disneyland concept, a floating restaurant and a multi- shopping complex on the lines of Singapore's Mustapha Mahal with foreign and local collaboration are on the cards. The plan will get off the ground within the next two months. The tourism development initiative, part of a larger program of developing Kotte, aims to make Sri Jayawardhanapura a model city and `Sri Lanka's heart of paradise'," Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake, who is the driving force behind this mega project, told the `Daily News'. The Minister said that although Kotte was projected as the Capital, it has merely relegated itself to just another city, despite the immense potential of the historic area to become a major tourism hub. Kotte was once an ancient seat of power replete with a host of royal buildings and places of worship. Some buildings and ruins can still be seen. The Minister said that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had a vision for the country and Kotte, Sri Lanka's capital City was one of the key areas that has been targeted. "Kotte with its historic and cultural base coupled with the right kind of development initiative can be an excellent alternative to the more popular City of Colombo, especially for tourists," he added. Steps are also been taken to rebuild Kotte's historic image with replicas to promote the historical and cultural significance of the City, and construct similar replicas of the other attractions in the island. However, despite these ambitious plans, Minister Karunanayake expressed dissatisfaction over unwarranted delays in getting some of these ventures off the ground. "Bureaucratic red tape is a major constraint in the drive for development. There is a great need for more collaboration and consensus within State
institutions to give Kotte its real status as 'the heart of
paradise'," he said.
This is aimed at catering to the increased demand for unusual and creative souvenirs that differ from the usual elephants, masks and other items. The idea is to introduce souvenirs that best depict the attractions of each region, with a slogan engraved to capture the imagination of tourists. It is also envisaged that miniature crafts would induce tourists to buy in bulk, which would not be possible with normal-size souvenirs given baggage and travel constraints. "Almost every visitor to the country likes to take back some memorabilia home. What we hope to do is to make available a top quality product that does Sri Lanka proud and best represent Sri Lanka's diversity," Tourism Board Chairman Paddy Withana said. For instance, at Sigiriya, tourists would have the opportunity to buy a
quality mini replica of the Sigiriya Fortress with similar creations
designed for other prime tourism sites. A special handicraft is now being
designed for Sigiriya, one of Sri Lanka's biggest tourists attractions,
with the souvenir to be marketed as the eighth wonder of the world- the
`Palace in the Sky.' Similar crafts are to be designed with slogans within
the course of the year. (TG)
Nizam Lantra is back at the Sri Lanka Tourism Board (SLTB) in Colombo as Director Marketing after four and half years of service as the European Director based in Frankfurt. He is the senior-most executive whose service counts over 34 years. In the early 80s he successfully completed the postgraduate course in Tourism with specialisation in Marketing at the International School of Tourism in Italy. He is also a member of the Institute of Statisticians (UK) and holds the Diploma in Management at the Open University of Sri Lanka. In recognition of his long years of service, experience and qualifications, several international organisations such as the United Nations, World Tourism Organisation, Economic and Social Commission of Asia and Pacific, International Labour Organisation, Asian Development Bank and the World Bank had sought his expertise on Tourism through short term assignments. Lantra initiated the introduction of computers to Tourism Board in the late 80s in addition to training staff. During his service as the Director Marketing, he was instrumental in creating world award winning promotional materials. While in Germany, he carried out extensive promotional activities despite the limited resources, in all German speaking countries, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and the Baltic States. |
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Produced by Lake House |
The
Sri Lanka Tourism Board is seeking the cooperation of the Crafts Council
and Handicrafts Board to develop the souvenir market with specialised
products representing attractions of each region.
