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PATA wins global award at WTM

LONDON Nov. 16 - The Eighth Annual World Tourism Award, was won by two of the travel industry's leading membership associations, the Africa Travel Association (ATA) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

The award ceremony was co-sponsored by American Express Company (AMEX), Corinthia Hotels International (CHI), International Herald Tribune (IHT) and Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), and was presented at a special ceremony on Opening Day of World Travel Market.

The Award was presented in recognition of ATA and PATA' s "extraordinary vision in forging a historic Asia-Africa Bridge of Tourism, Friendship and Collaboration" announced at the recent 3rd IIPT Global Summit on Peace Through Tourism, Pattaya, Thailand, Oct. 2-5, 2005.

Accepting the Award at World Travel Market on behalf of their organisations, were the Kabinga J. Pande, MP, ATA President and Zambia's Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources and Peter de Jong, President and CEO of PATA.

Both leaders, who signed the agreement in Thailand, expressed thanks to IIPT for fostering and facilitating this agreement. Pande and Peter de Jong expressed their firm commitment towards cooperation between their respective organisations and geographic regions.

The annual World Tourism Award, established in 1997 by American Express, International Herald Tribune and Reed Travel Exhibitions, and joined this year by Corinthia Hotels International, recognizes the extraordinary initiatives by individuals, companies, organisations, destinations and attractions, for outstanding accomplishment in the travel industry.

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Coral Gardens celebrates 20th anniversary

ONE of South Province, premier resorts, Coral Gardens, Hikkaduwa, celebrates twenty years of Sri Lankan hospitality this month.

To commemorate this the management is offering special deals which will be held throughout the month of November.

The festive package includes a special offer for family groups with children under twelve. Two such youngsters will enjoy a stay at Coral Gardens Hotel absolutely free.

In addition, there are cookery demonstrations, where the resort's reputed chefs will impart some of the secrets of the trade, the opportunity for a family photograph, which comes in a special keels photo folder and a kid's corner, which provides parents the opportunity for some quiet time as the kids enjoy a range of activities designed specially for them. Disco nights would be on Fridays and Saturdays.

Formally known as Hikkaduwa Rest House with 35 rooms, Ceylon Holiday Resorts took over the management in 1966 and Australian E. C. Young, become the first manager.

Under his management in 1969 the existing number of rooms increased by constructing additional 12 rooms and the Rest House was renamed as Coral Gardens Hotel. In 1982 Whittal Boustead Ltd. took over the property and demolished the all buildings of the Coral Gardens Hotel.

In the year 1991, Coral Gardens Hotel was taken over by Keells Hotel Management Services Ltd.

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High oil prices yet to impact on tourism says WTO

LONDON, November 2005 - Higher oil prices have so far had limited effect on international tourism growth according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (WTO).

A WTO report demonstrates that upto the moment, the impact of high oil prices in international tourism has been little.

Experts consulted in the framework of this research project note that only a small percentage of the increase in oil prices has been passed onto consumers in terms of final purchase price, says WTO Chief of Market Intelligence, Augusto Hu,scar.

In addition, the imposition of surcharges by many airlines does not appear to have discouraged demand for air transport - at least for the time being.

According to the latest data from IATA, passenger traffic from January through September 2005, increased by 8.3 per cent, with airlines in the Middle East and in Africa reporting double-digit growth rates.

Demand for international tourism has remained strong through 2005. WTO's estimates for the year, as published in the October issue of the WTO World Tourism Barometer, show that 2005 is expected to end with a growth of 5 to 6% in international tourist arrivals, which can be considered exceptional.

International tourism is not only on track to consolidate the bumper year it had in 2004 (+10.7%), but it will also exceed the forecast long-term average growth of 4%.

The full WTO report on the impact of high oil prices in international tourism, due to be published next month, highlights moreover that, in recent crises higher oil prices had no direct impact on tourism.

The effect was rather indirect, as price hikes contributed to the deterioration of the economic situation, and consequently to the corrosion of consumers' purchasing power.

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