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First hotel to be opened in two years:
International tenders to be called for Kalpitiya tourism project
Lumbini Edirisinghe
International tenders will be called in two months from foreign
entrepreneurs to invest in the proposed Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism
Resort Development Project (KITRDP) in the Puttalam district, along the
north western coast of the country.
The total cost of investment will be Rs. 400 billion. The proposed
Kalpitiya Tourism Zone is an eight-mile long strip of land in the
Kalpitiya peninsula. “There are eight islands ranging from one acre with
the total land extent being over 3,000 square miles.
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Kalpitiya was a dream of the tourism industry and it would take
a further two years for the first hotel to be opened |
The Ministry of Tourism hopes to convert the area to an up market
destination with golf courses, cable cars, amusement parks and night
entertainment facilities,” said Director General Sri Lanka Tourism, S.
Kalaiselvam. He said that the Authority has already released 14 islands
for the project.
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority is hoping to create
15,000 direct employment opportunities and 50,000 indirect employment
opportunities under the the Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort
Development Project.
The chain of hotels with a total capacity of 400 rooms will be
developed by the Authority.
The Government hopes to expand infrastructure facilities such as road
development, electricity, hospitals and condominiums similar to a mini
city concept.
He also said that Kalpitiya was a dream of the tourism industry and
it would take a further two years for the first hotel to be opened. “We
expect this would attract high spending clients and the minimum room
rate per night would be over US $ 400 per day,” he said. The current
average spending of a tourist is less than US $ 70.
The Wilpattu National Park is expected to be opened this year and
this unspoilt wildlife national park would add value to Kalpitiya as a
destination due to its close proximity location.
The total revenue generated from the industry last year was around US
$ 380 million. This was from 438,000 arrivals with India bringing in the
highest number. This year with peace on the horizon revenue is expected
to top the US $ 400 million mark.
“Six-hundred new rooms were added last year despite a lean patch the
country went through,” he said.
Despite the global downturn the Board of Investment (BOI) had signed
new agreements to build star-class hotels this year. “This also includes
investments in the North East as well,” he said.
“Some local investors too have shown an interest in investing in the
Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort Development Project,” said an
official of Sri Lanka Tourism.
The Tourism Authority is also looking at a similar project at Dedduwa
in Bentota. In addition the Trincomalee area will also be developed as
an up market tourist destination. |
