SLAITO to take legal action against SLTB Chairman?

Sri Lanka Association of inbound tour operators (SLAITO) which held a special committee meeting recently has unanimously decided to take legal action if the Minister of Tourism appoints Udaya Nanayakkara as the chairman of the Tourist Board (SLTB).

They decided that it was very urgent to activate the new Tourism Act. It was noted that the Act was passed by Parliament on 18th October, 2005. Subsequently it was signed by the speaker on the 11th November 2005 making it the law of the country. However for it to become effective the Minister must sign the gazette notification.

As per the new Act the Minister should appoint a Chairman of the Authority, Chairman of the Marketing Bureau, Chairman of the Convention Bureau and Chairman of the Institute. They decided to request the Minister as already urged by the letters written to President Mahinda Rajapakse and the Minister not to re-appoint the former Chairman of the SLTB to any of the above positions.

They said that Chairman publicly opposed the new Tourist Act and worked fervently against the Act. His dissention is documented in a letter written by him and as recorded in the NCED minutes.

"As per the law of the country he cannot hold any of the above positions or as the Chairman of the current Sri Lanka Tourist Board due to his involvement in private tourism concerns resulting in a conflict of interest," an official of the SLAITO said.

It was noted that this has been conveyed in writing by the Attorney General to the Secretary of Ministry of Tourism. Last year total budget of US $ 11 million was available to the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. "The industry feels these monies have not been properly directed specially to marketing the destination effectively. This has directly contributed to the drop in actual leisure Tourism arrivals," he said.

In the event a favourable response is not received on these issues SLAITO is to seek legal action with the support of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka.

Members also decided to refrain from nominating members to the bodies created by the New Tourism Act.

Jayantha de Silva (Secretary), Gulam Abdulhussein (Treasurer), Gehan M. Perera (Past President), Mahen Kariyawasan (Andrew the Travel Co.), Chandra Wickremasinghe (Connaissance de Ceylan), Wansa Hettiarachchi (Crystal Holidays (Pvt) Ltd), Nalin Ariyaratne (Jetwing Travels), Nilmin Nanayakkara (N-Kar Travels and Tours), Suresh Murugaser (United Holidays), Thilak Weerasinghe (Lanka Sportsreisen) Tony Mantara (Gemini Tours and Travel) and Ramesh Dassanayake (Sunway Holidays) were present at this meeting.

(SS)

Sea Horse Palace opens in Negombo

A new luxury hotel, Sea Horse Palace was opened in Etukala Negombo recently. The hotel built with an investment of over Rs. 150 million has 7 luxury cabanas and 14 deluxe rooms. In addition the hotel rooms consist of mini bar, personal safe, piped music, Hotel and cool water, satellite television and all rooms are air-conditioned.

According to the Managing Director of the hotel, Earle Fernando they are in the process of obtaining the small luxury hotel category by the end of the year. He said that with their swimming pool, billiards rooms and other facilities they can easily obtain this classification.

Fernando said that their concept is, 'Mansion in a fishing Village' for which there is growing response both locally and internationally. Fernando has come to a joint partnership with two Dutch partners, Jack Scholten and Jan Backker to build the hotel.

He said that there hotel is being patronised by the European and the Russian market and now they are also marketing the hotel to Indian clients. In addition they are looking at the airport traffic and the Katunayake investment promotion zone businessmen. "We also offer conference facilities for small companies," he said.

Sea Horse Palace has also introduced special attractive honeymoon packages for locals. "This is an ideal location for them since the surroundings are very harmonious," he said. The hotel has introduced a free shuttle service to the beach and have organsied special excursions in Negombo.

Fernando who was in the Travel trade for over 30 years having started from Club Oceanic Trincomalee said that they are also looking at new properties in Nuwara Eliya and the South. "We can then offer a better package for foreigners by marketing all there hotels," he said.

One of the other attractions of the hotel is the beauty salon run by Mrs. Fernando. "This blends well with our product," he said.

(SS)

Minister Bandaranaike to promote tourism in Dubai

Khalid Bin Sulayem, Director General, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DMCM) met with the Sri Lankan Minister of Tourism, Anura Bandaranaike at the DTCM Head Office recently.

The Sri Lankan Minister discussed various possibilities of learning from Dubai's success in marketing itself as a leading leisure and tourism destination in the world.

They agreed that there was tremendous trade and tourism potential between Dubai and Sri Lanka. Sulayem highlighted Dubai's current boom in the hospitality sector and remarkable projects like the Dubailand, Burj Dubai and the Palms Island that are expected to change Dubai's skyline in the coming years and attract greater number of tourists to the Emirate.

Sulayem said that the DTCM was aggressively promoting Dubai as the world's leading leisure destination through a series of road shows, and participation in overseas fairs.

A delegation from UAF is expected to be Colombo soon.

"We will open an office of Sri Lanka Tourism Board in Dubai next summer that will promote Sri Lanka as a tourism destination among the Arab travellers, who are high spenders and we are looking at attracting high spending tourists that will help the economy", Minister said in UAE.

EDB to uplift giftware sector

by Anjana Samarasinghe

The Export Development Board EDB together with Ministry of Rural Industries and Self Employment Promotion has set up a project to uplift the giftware sector in Sri Lanka.

Director Product Management Division of EDB, Indira Malwatte said the government has allocated Rs. 50 million through the budget for this sector.

The main objective of this project is to encourage traditional craftsmen for manufacturing utility and lifestyle products according to market needs.

Certain market researches say that international trend on giftware market is moving towards utility products. If we consider wood items like masks only Sri Lankans who live in other countries would buy them.

Sri Lankan craftsmen should focus on wooden products like pen holders which suit foreign consumers. Local craftsmen should use their traditional skills on manufacturing these products, she said. The EDB has selected the home textile, ceramic, porcelain, wood, reed and rush sectors for the project.

Under this project, EDB will organise seminars and provide consultancy services on latest market trends, design capabilities and intensities for industrialists.

EDB will also provide financial assistance through SME bank and conduct exposure programmes to gain market opportunities. The project is specially targeted at craft villages.

'It is difficult to change the attitudes of traditional craftsmen on utility products. Industrialists have to identify the market needs and use their traditional skills to compete in international market,' Malwatte said.

According to the EDB some small scale companies in the giftware sector is providing utility products and they are successful in the business.

Six Senses to build Six Star hotel in Ahungalle

Colombo, Jan 04 (Lankapuwath) - Six senses resorts, and spas are expected to invest in Sri Lanka to build a Six Star Luxury Hotel.

The Hotel chain, based in Thailand, has hotels in 17 countries and would be investing US$ 10 million with Aitken Spence Hotels to put up this 60 Luxury Villa property on a 10 acre land bordering Triton Ahungalle. The construction is expected to commence in June 2006 and the Hotel expected to be opened towards the end of 2007.

Managing Director Aitken Spence Hotels, Malin Hapugoda told Lankapuwath that they would be investing US$ 10 million (around Rs. 1000 m) for this project. "Though six senses resorts and spas have been managing their own properties, they have decided to give the management of this proposed hotel to us," stated Hapugoda.

Six senses is a resort and Spa Management and Development Company operating properties and products branded as Soneva Resorts, Evason Hideaways, Evason Resorts, six senses spas and six senses gallery. The company owns the multi-award winning Soneva Fushi in the Maldives. It also has equity in several of the properties under management and development.

According to Hapugoda, unlike some of the local hotel chains, they would not go for branding by way of a name change but would do more to bring out the best in their brand name, Aitken Spence.

Colombo hosts PATA in 2008

Colombo, Jan 04, (Lankapuwath)

Sri Lanka is currently busy preparing to host the 2008 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) annual conference in the Capital City Colombo. This event is expected to further advance Sri Lanka's National Travel and Tourism sectors.

With the tsunami devastations and other major drawbacks, the country is rapidly planning to elevate the travel and Tourism Industry.

The PATA Sri Lanka Chapter Chairman and Managing Director of Mahaweli Reach Hotel Jayantha Panabokke told Lankapuwath, "We are happy to say the local Tourism Industry is already moving upwards.

Tourists are coming back and total tourist arrivals have recorded 11.7 percent increase for the first half of 2005 showing a growth of 362,049 advents.