Travel

Kalpitiya resorts should mature in 10 years -New Secretary

The setting of the Tourism Development Fund has been the most outstanding feature that had helped establish the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, said the new Secretary of Ministry of Tourism George Michael.

"Earlier it was not the case. There wasn't any fund for promotional activities and now there is financial support for all activities undertaken.

The overall change is the new structure that is helping to build up a healthy industry setting a platform for effective mechanism.

I am happy with the achievements. There have been new thinking, more ideas and more leaders to take the industry on the right direction," he said.

In an interview he said that Sri Lanka today has several potential markets, the Middle East, Japan, China, India and many more.

"To take Sri Lanka to the world arena more effectively, we are now going to have destination representatives in France and Germany what is important is to monitor ensuring its success, "he said.

Asked if Sri Lanka Tourism was on the right direction, he said it was. "However my concern is on product development which needs a boost.

Basically we lack facilities to promote the product. We should create more opportunities for guests to look around and hang around not limiting themselves 'only to the beach' or 'hill station'.

There should be more venues opened. We should support and encourage small hoteliers who are also contributing a lot to tourism. There should be mechanism to promote and uplift their present condition.

To avoid downfall, we should go for up scale tourism which could be less in number but more in revenue.

MICE promotion should be promoted to reach better standard. Kalpitiya resorts in the eastern province should mature in 10 years and new products for marketing should be identified.

Once the political solution is seen for the North, there would be more chances to lure tourists to Sri Lanka," Michael said.

Asked what were the potential areas Sri Lanka Tourism should highly concentrate on, he said that individual promotion sector needs to be encouraged and genuine efforts should be taken.

"There should be solid output of every promotion activity undertaken. It should be monitored and do follow up," he said.

Elephant Rest opens in Udawalawa

Young entrepreneur, Lakmal Jayaweera has opened restaurant cum hotel, Elephant Rest at Udawalawa. Elephant Rest restaurant situated in a traditional Sri Lankan village serves a wide array of eastern, western and Chinese cuisines with exotic mouthwatering garden fresh vegetables and fruits.

Elephant Rest can accommodate 52 persons to dine in at once. "Guests can select food from our set menu or from our a la carte menu," said Jayaweera. Foreign qualified Ivor Zilva is the Head Chef of the hotel.

"We are initially targeting travellers who visit Udawalawa National Park or guests on their way to Kataragama.

Elephant Rest is situated two minute away from Udawalawa National Park entrance." We will be offering accommodation for travellers from next month," he said.

Restaurant can arrange guided safari jeep tours on request for travellers to visit Udawalawa National park.

"If the travellers wish to tour the Walawa region to see its farming lifestyle, experience lake bathing, tour Sevanagala Sugar Factory and do bird watching we can arrange on request," he said.

Udawalawa National Park is the most secure wild life sanctuary in Sri Lanka to see its amazing wild life. Out of all the National parks in Sri Lanka this holds one of the largest number of elephants in Sri Lanka.

After the terrorist attack that took place in Thanamalwila during mid January, the Park was closed and reopened on March 1.

"Unfortunately crowds aren't visiting the Park like they used to be. This is severely affecting the lifestyles of many families in the Walawa region who depend on travellers. No incident was reported within the Park and it was merely the doubts that made the Park stay closed for more than eight weeks.

Now both Army and Police provide tight security to those who visit the National Park.

Therefore there is nothing to be scared and instead one can relax and enjoy a lot visiting the Udawalawa region," he said.

Elephant Rest restaurant is owned and managed by R.L.W. Associates. SS

Emirates flyers win air tickets to Paris, Dubai, Singapore

Three travellers in Sri Lanka who booked tickets on-line for travel with Emirates Airline have won air tickets to exciting destinations in three different regions thanks to an on-line booking promotion launched by the award-winning carrier.

Christine Cassagne a Frenchwoman living in Sri Lanka won the first prize, a return air ticket to Paris while Matthew Todd won the second prize, a return ticket to Dubai. This was the second time that Todd has won a ticket from Emirates by booking on-line. Gerd Haisch, also an expatriate resident in Sri Lanka, won the third prize, a return ticket to Singapore.

The promotion which ended on March 31 required travellers to book their seats on Emirates operated flights via www.emirates.com/lk.

One of the world's fastest-growing international airlines, Emirates operates 17 services a week from Colombo to Dubai and four services a week from Colombo to Singapore and Jakarta.

The winner of more than 300 major international awards, Emirates flies to 99 cities in 62 countries in Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Africa, Indian subcontinent and Asia-Pacific.

Going Sri Lankan the Jetwing way

"Madu Thalapa", "Bathala Roti", "Sour sop Maluwa", "Maikkan Malu", "Stuffed Pumpkin Leaves" were few of the many delicacies tasted by the invitees at the recently concluded 'Jetwing Go Sri Lankan culinary challenge 2008' held at Jetwing Seashells Negombo on recently.

Chef teams from 10 Jetwing hotels competed in this competition, the first of its kind, held as part of a project aimed at an effort on preserving the National Culinary Heritage.

Chef Pubilis of Mount Lavinia Hotel, the keynote speaker at the launch of this programme late last year set the tone for the project, making emphasis on the need of preserving a 2500 year old tradition of Sri Lankan cuisine that is not only unique, vivid in many ways, medicinal and probably one of the worlds best, but yet unknown by the international gourmet.

After the launch the chef teams went into a lot of research and learned from senior citizens of villages as far away as the remote village of Meemure in the central province and Monaragala in deep south for food that were becoming less consumed and disappearing that were later to be reproduced at the event.

The food was cooked while being judged by the eminent panel of judges that comprised of Senaka Tantrige, former chef lecturer and Vice principal of Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management and Lakshman Liyanarachchi, Executive Chef of Ceylon Continental Hotel, Colombo. Senaka Tantrige, was all praise for the chefs for the efforts taken and the high level of standards achieved.

Chef Pubilis was the chief guest at the awards ceremony of the event while Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Chairman, Renton De Alwis was the guest of honour, Members of the Negombo Hoteliers Association, many tourists and other hotel residents were amongst those distinguished invitees who witnessed the competition with extreme enthusiasm.

De Alwis emphasised on the need to give the opportunity to visitors to Sri Lanka to savour our traditional dishes. Managing Director of Jetwing Hotels, Ruan Samarasinghe, congratulated the winners of the competition and thanked them immensely for the efforts taken by respective teams, while assuring them of support in their endeavours to make this project fruitful.

The overall winners of "Go Sri Lankan Challenge 2008" were won by Jetwing Beach, Negombo in a closely contested competition while Jetwing Vil Uyana, Sigiriya came second. The 'Hopper Championship' of the competition, the 'Most Outstanding Discovery', the 'Best Presentation' as well as the 'Best Dessert' was also won by Jetwing Beach.

The Hilton Colombo's 1987 prices are back

The Hilton Colombo, in celebration of its 21st anniversary, will be bringing back its 1987 promotion from the end of May. Initially hosted at the hotel's Echelon Pub for a limited period in ebruary/March, this promotion received rave reviews by Hilton Colombo patrons who could not get enough of 1987 - or in this case, 1987 prices.

The relaunch of this popular promotion, commencing from May 26, to June 30, daily between 6.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m., will again entail offering guests of the Echelon Pub a selected range of food and beverages, now available at low prices prevailed in 1987.

First held in February, the much applauded 1987 promotion was an instant success for the Echelon Pub, with patrons buzzing about the hotel's initiative to bring back fond memories from that glorious year in which the Hilton started its operations in Colombo.

Ishani Ranasinghe, a regular visitor at the Hilton Colombo, was very excited about the possibility of 1987 prices being relaunched in May. She also gave credit to the hotel for holding such a unique promotion, adding "my friends and I had a brilliant time; the atmosphere was great, and the food and drink - exceptional. And all of this... for such amazing prices."

Owing to the success of the 1987 promotion in February, which saw a tremendous influx of visitors to the Echelon Pub during the hours in which 1987 prices were active, the Hilton Colombo decided to revisit the promotion for a longer period so that the hotel's guests could further benefit.

Travelon goes deep south

With more Sri Lankan joining luxury tours within Sri Lanka, Travelon just completed a successful tour to Deep South over the Wesak weekend with close cooperation by Mecry Corps & HDCC (Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce).

Over 45 persons including families and children had toured in the South of Sri Lanka with visits to Blow Hole, (Hummanaya) by boat, Mulgirigala, Giant Turtle Night Safari at Rekawa (TCP), up-stream Walawe Eco Safari by boat, Ussangoda, Kirinda, Kataragama and Kiri Veheraka, Bundala and Madunagala (Mahapellessa) hot water wells among others.

The night stays were at Paradise Beach Cottages Tangalle, Hotel Priyankara at Tissa and Peacock Beach Hotel in Hambantota.