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Thambapanni Leisure to invest Rs. 90 million on expansion

by Shirajiv Sirimane


Managing Director Preshan Dissanayake

Thambapanni Leisure Galle, will invest Rs. 90 million this year on a major expansion program. This includes hotel expansion, acquiring new property and building of a new hotel on a boutique concept.

According to Managing Director Thambapanni Leisure and ThamBra Creations and Engineering Preshan Dissanayake, their first project would be to refurbish the Thaproban Hotel which was constructed in 1995. "We are hoping to add more rooms and upgrade it to a super luxury boutique hotel," he said.

The management hopes to invest Rs. 7 million for this project and funds within the company would be used. The property will be ready by next November.

They hope to invest another Rs. 10 million to construct a Spa at their flagship hotel Thambapanni, also in Unawatuna. "The area is in need of a Spa to attract more upmarket clientele and this was the main reason for them to go for the investment," he said.

Unawatuna has been classified as one of the top seven beaches in the world and this makes marketing very easy. However infrastructure in the area needs improvement and one hopes this problem would be addressed before the commencement of the next season.

With a peaceful general election the country is now settling down for serious business and a high yielding tourist season is on the cards. "Inquiries and bookings for our hotels are increasing from our web site www.thambapanni.biz," he said.

The hotel is looking out for a 20 acre property in the South near the Madu Ganga for the construction of a hotel with the theme 'Sri Lankan village life'.

According to the Chief Executive Officer Dayal Fernando they want to construct an Eco friendly hotel that would depict a Sri Lankan village life as old as 100 years.

"We hope to have a well for each chalet with many other Sinhalese traditions," he said. The total investment for this would be around Rs. 70 million and the construction would be undertaken by their own company, ThamBra Creations and Engineering.

They are also looking to acquire a seven room hotel in the Galle district next month. This would be converted to an upmarket property. "Our theme is to have smaller hotels where we could give a personal touch to suite our clientele," he said.

He said that their construction arm has already completed three hotel projects worth Rs. 150 million this year.

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Hiran Cooray receives PATA Award


Hiran Cooray

Sri Lankan tourism industry received another boost when the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) presented a merit award to Managing Director, Jetwing Hotels, at their 53rd annual conference held in South Korea. He became the first Sri Lankan to receive this prestigious award.

He said that he was very happy about it as it has brought more recognition to local tourism. Sri Lanka is now attracting the upmarket clientele and should now concentrate on human resource development to the industry.

Most of the employees who have been in the field for over two years should once be re-trained. "Times have changed and they need to think differently," he said. Though most of the hotels have invested on refurbishing which is needed to maintain their property recognition, they had failed to concentrate on the human resource development. This is mainly because of the unstable situation in the country.

He appealed to the new Minister of Tourism Anura Bandaranaike to help the industry by assuring that no additional taxes would be introduced. "The industry is already burdened with high electricity bills and VAT," he said. The Indian and the Chinese market is growing and these are positive signs.

"What the industrialists are asking is for a stable environment," he said.

The PATA award of merit was presented to three travel industry leaders. The award is reserved for individuals who have constantly contributed to PATA chapter network over an extended period.

The first 2004 Award of Merit went to the President of Universal Travel Systems, Klaus Billep. For 40 years, Billep upheld the highest standards of professionalism in his career with and for PATA. The second 2004 Award of Merit went to Hiran Cooray. Cooray, as PATA Sri Lanka Chapter Chairman since the year 2000, led the Chapter to a 2003 PATA Award of Excellence. PATA has also benefited from Cooray's spirit of voluntarism - he currently sits on the Sustainable Tourism Committee, Industry Council and PATA Travel Mart Advisory Committee.

The third 2003 PATA Award of Merit went Tony Thirlwell, who was previously Chief Executive of Tourism New South Wales and Managing Director of the Australian Tourist Commission. - (SS)

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Japanese tourist arrivals on the increase

Japanese tourist arrivals have increased by seven percent in first quarter of this year as against last year. An official of the Sri Lanka Tourism Marketing Department said that they had recently organised a special TV program to attract Japanese tourists. According to him traditional Ayurveda methods, Sri Lanka tea and attractive handicrafts were aggressively promoted by well-known TV channels in Japan.

In another program Sri Lankan world famous heritage sites such as Sigiriya, Sinharaja and Anuradhapura were telecasted by Japan's leading up market electronic media channels TBS and NHK. An official said these promotions were very successful with an influx of inquiries.

The Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) also utilised the recently concluded "Tour Expo 2004" exhibition as a promotion medium. Sri Lankans demonstrated traditional Ayurveda methods at this event which had a very good response.

He said the SLTB and key local travel agents will participate at the "JATA World Travel Fair" to be held in Tokyo, Japan from September 24 to 26.

The theme of the event would be exploring new travel concepts for changing travel styles. 'Over 120,000 visitors, buyers and sellers from all over the world are expected for the exhibition.

Local participants will exhibit their products on nature, culture, handicraft, tea, Ayurveda and other new packages.

www.imarketspace.com

www.Pathmaconstruction.com

www.ceylincoproperties.com

www.eagle.com.lk

www.continentalresidencies.com

www.ppilk.com

www.crescat.com

www.peaceinsrilanka.org

www.helpheroes.lk


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