Barberyn Beruwala grabs healthy contracts

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

DEMAND: The Barberyn Ayurveda Hotel Beruwala, which participated in the recently concluded Arabian Travel Mart in Dubai last week, has secured several key contracts for the hotel.

Owners Representative Alice Kaushal said that there is an increase demand for health tourism from the Gulf and this is the market they are targeting.

“We have been contacted by leading tour operators in Dubai and they have promised to send clients for treatment to our hotel,” she said.

Barberyn Ayurveda Hotel Beruwala was the first hotel in Sri Lanka to introduce the Ayurveda concept in a major way almost 40 years ago. “When Sudana Rodrigo started the concept people were laughing at him and today the same people are hailing ayurveda,” she said.

She said that one of the main advantages of the Gulf leisure market is that their peak holiday season is from June to August which his Sri Lanka’s off season. “This would help the trade in a big way to fill their rooms during the off season,” she said.

She said that Kerala in India too sells ayurveda packages. Though the value of the Kerala and Lankan packages are same the local packages are at least 30 per cent cheaper. “This is why there is an increased demand,” she said.

She said that their packages range from one week to three-week treatment and they hope to serve high spending UAE based clientele this year. “There is also a very good response from Sri Lankans as well,” she said.