German travellers rate SriLankan among the best

GERMAN travellers have once again rated SriLankan Airlines to be amongst the best in Economy class travel, acknowledging the consistent standards of excellence of Sri Lanka's National Carrier year after year.

A survey of 5,500 travellers by the popular travel magazine Reise and Preise (Travel & Price) ranked SriLankan Airlines fourth globally among 100 airlines. SriLankan topped the poll the previous year.

Reise & Preise commented: SriLankan Airlines average marks are very good, and prove of a very good and consistent performance.

Sri Lanka has long been a popular destination for German tourists, who account for one of the largest nations of origin of visitors to Sri Lanka, behind India and the UK.

Readers of Reise & Preise magazine are experienced travellers. A third of those who voted have flown more than 30 times in the last ten years, and another third had flown 1630 times in the same period.

The poll was very comprehensive, with readers being asked to evaluate seven criteria including cabin conditions, seat comfort, inflight catering, cabin staff service, and entertainment systems.

SriLankan has a globally recognized reputation for excellence. Its accolades include "World's Friendliest Cabin Crew," "Best Airline" in the Central Asia / Subcontinent region for four consecutive years, "Worlds Best In-flight Entertainment," and First Runner-Up for "Worlds Best Cabin Staff."

Most of these tributes came from polls of travellers by various organizations. In addition, SriLankan was named by Airbus Industries as the most reliable airline in the world operating A330 aircraft, a tribute to its reputation for punctuality.

Skywards, the frequent flyer programme of by SriLankan and Emirates, has continuously swept the global frequent flyer awards, including the coveted title of Programme of the Year.

SriLankan Airlines now flies to destinations in countries across Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Far East.

Asian airlines dominated the poll, occupying the top seven places. Singapore Airlines topped the poll, with Malaysian Air second. Emirates, SriLankans strategic partner, occupied third place. Fifth place is shared by Thai Airways and Cathay Pacific.

Reise & Preise noted: It can be concluded that the Asian airlines, when compared to European and American airlines, are focused not only on the first class and business class tourist, but also on good service for the normal tourist who flies economy.

They seem to strike through the little touches such as entertainment, friendly cabin staff, excellent service, and comfort, which make the economy class service much more enjoyable.

Thus, it is no wonder that Asian carriers dominate the voters decisions.

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Special local packages on offer:

Riverina and Club Palm Garden to reopen

THE 4 star Riverina Hotel and the three star Club Palm Garden Hotel owned and managed by Confifi Group would reopen within the next two months.

Their flagship property, the first star Eden has been already reopened. The three hotels are offering special local packages for day trips and full board packages with attractive discounts.

The Eden Resort and Spa has 158 elegantly furnished rooms and suites, a choice of restaurants and bars and a spa that offers a variety of treatments to help relax and rejuvenate.

Club Palm Garden reopening on October 1 Confifi Group's 3-star all-inclusive club resort has 140 attractively furnished rooms and a talented animation team to provide a series of entertainment and is suited for fun loving holiday-makers of all ages.

"Riverina Hotel, which reopens on August 1 with 192 rooms and suites, is the ideal choice for a family holiday on a tropical beach, an official of the Group said.

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People regaining lust for travel: UN report

PEOPLE are regaining "the lust for travel" after the combined blows of terrorism, a weak economy and epidemics battered the tourist industry, as consumer confidence rises and the fear factor fades, a UN report has said.

The report by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) said the first four months of 2005 showed an average 8 per cent rise, a rate very similar to those seen in the second half of 2004, when international tourist arrivals grew by more than 10 per cent to an all-time record of 763 million,

"The geopolitical climate, the persistent weak economy and SARS have constrained tourism seriously in previous years and have left a significant amount of pent-up demand in the market," WTO Chief of Market Intelligence and Promotion Augusto Huiscar said.

He was referring to the 2001 terrorist attacks on the US and the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), mainly in Asia, in 2003.

"From last year on, we have seen this being released and the data indicate that this process is still in full swing. People are regaining the lust for travel and feel that the moment is appropriate to make the trips they postponed in the past years," he added.

Positive results are estimated over the first four months for all regions, ranging from 5 per cent increase for Europe to 17 per cent for the Middle East, with Africa showing a 12 per cent rise and the Americas 11 per cent. - PTI