Rs.380 m tourism complex in Kalpitiya

Shirajiv Sirimane in London

ENGLAND: The Sri Lanka Tourist Board would invest Rs. 380 million to develop the Kalpitiya lagoon as a major upmarket destination said the Minister of Tourism Anura Bandaranaike.

Minister Bandaranaike said the ground breaking ceremony for the event would be held on January 1, 2007, and under the first phase infrastructure facilities would be provided.

He said that 4,000 acres has been already earmarked for the project and 22 investors have been negotiating to invest. "Already five investors have visited the area," he said.

Initially a bridge would be built and the road network and the markings of the land would be done so that investors could start their projects. The discussions in Kalpitiya were going on for almost two years and this is the first time that a date has been set for the ground breaking ceremony.

The project would take three years to be completed and it would have an 18 hole golf course, Yacht Marina, helipad and hotels and resorts in the four and five star class providing up to 3,000 rooms.

He said that in addition the SLTB will acquire 82 acres of land in Nilaweli, Trincomalee for tourism development. "This area is being occupied by squatters and alternative land has been found for them."

The Minister said that he would be addressing a series of meeting with newspaper editors in UK to update them on the current political situation Sri Lanka.

"I will also brief them on the MoU singed between the Government and the United National Party which has given additional stability to the Government," he said.

Chairman, SLTB, Udaya Nanayakkara said that the President Mahinda Rajapaksa is also very keen to develop tourism in Trincomalee. "The China Bay airport too is to be expanded," he said.

It was also announced that Lebanon is opening its doors once again for tourists after the recent conflict which caused destruction set at over US$ 15 billion.