Resources aplenty to promote tourism
Wayamba has many opportunities:
Harshini Perera
Compared to other countries Sri Lanka has a lot of resources to
promote tourism in the region. There are less resorts in Sri Lanka
compared to other countries such as the Maldives, said Sri Lanka Tourist
Board, Director (Development), T. Suriyagoda at the Wayamba Investors
and Exporters’ Forum on Monday at the Hotel Galadari.
He said that Wayamba is a unique province that has many opportunities
for tourism. It has a natural beach in the Puttalam district and 14
islands circulating the Kalpitiya area including Battalangunduwa. The
Kurunegala district plays a vital role in the improvement of the inland
tourism sector.
At present there are a few hotels in the Kalpitiya area such as
Alankuda, Taniya and Buuwala which is under construction.
Fourteen islands in the Kalpitiya Dutch Bay Region will be designed
for a well planned tourism destination under the Kalpitiya Integrated
Tourism Resort Project (KITRP). The Sri Lanka Tourist Board has already
received several proposals to increase tourist attractions in the area.
Among them the foundation will be laid for a large-scale tourist
hotel in January with an investment of Rs. 1.5 billion. It is expected
to build a 5,000 room hotel in Kalpitiya.
Two more hotels will be constructed in Kalpitiya soon,” he said. He
said that the Government will provide lands after a tender process and
the project has to be approved by the Coast Conservation Authority after
a Strategic Environment Survey (SES) before its implementation.
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