Travel advisories hinder tourism -HJ
Shirajiv SIRIMANE
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Award: Chairman Aitken Spence Hotels, Harry Jayawardane and
Chethiya Perera with the award. Picture by Sumanachandra
Ariyawansa
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‘Adverse travel advisories are the biggest hindrance for the
development of tourism in the country,’ said Chairman Aitken Spence
Hotels, Harry Jayawardane.
Speaking at an event organised to announce the ‘Maldives Leading
Water Villas’ award for Aitken Spence’s ‘Adaaran’ at the World Travel
Awards 2008 superseding stiff competition in China he said that the
media too is bloating up issues which aggravates the problem. When
adverse travel advisories are issued by western countries travel Agents
are reluctant to send tourists to Sri Lanka.
“If a tourist gets affected they have to pay huge insurance and
agents do not want to take that risk,” he said.
“Due to this factor we have to depend on the Maldivian properties
where we have six percent of the market,” he said.
Adaaran ‘Prestige’ won the ‘Maldives Leading Water Villas’ award at
the inaugural World Travel Awards Asia and Indian Ocean Ceremony where
Corned Group, Four Seasons and Ananthara were short listed for this
award.. “This most sought after awards program spotlights the ‘best’ in
the global travel and tourism industry.
The biggest internationally acclaimed hotel chains competed and it’s
an honor to bag this award,” he said.
The World Travel Awards were launched in 1993 to acknowledge and
recognize excellence in the world’s travel and tourism industry. Travel
professionals from 167,000 travel agencies, tour and transport companies
and tourism organizations in over 160 countries cast thousands of votes
to select the winners of the awards.
Speaking after receiving the award, CEO of Adaaran Resorts, Maldives,
Chethiya Perera, said that the butler service at the Water Villas was
awarded a brilliant 5 stars by the prestigious International Institute
of Modern Butlers (IIMB) in London.
He said that they are selling around US $ 600 and this award would
also help them to sell higher.
Adaaran Resorts, General Manager Marketing, M. U. Lantra said that
Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings is the fourth largest hotel operator in the
Maldives having eight properties with over 1,000 beds.
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