Project to increase room capacity:

Lanka ready to face tourist influx

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

The country will be ready to face the anticipated influx of tourist arrivals with the dawn of peace by increasing the room capacity in the three zonal divisions identified.

With the completion of these projects 7,000 additional rooms will be made available, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Director General S. Kalaiselvam told Daily News Business.

“Over 5,000 acres of land in 13 islands will be developed under the planned Kalpitiya tourist zone. The total land area will be supervised by the Tourism Development Authority (TDA) and will be leased out to potential investors for the proposed development.

The project is expected to generate 15,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities and 3,000 rooms will be added to the existing room capacity,” he said.

“The second project will be in Pasikudah for a 13-hotel project with a 1,000 room capacity. It is also expected to create 5,000 job opportunities. This project will be developed in keeping with the beach resort concept as in Bentota,” he said.

The third project will be in Kuchchaveli to develop 500 acres of land and 3,000 rooms will be added. The project will generate around 20,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities. The land in the area is owned by the Government and the TDA will work closely with the provincial administration to provide the land to the investors,” he said.

All the resorts will be set up along the beach areas promoting the beach resort concept and the projects are due to be complete within two years. Steps have also been taken to upgrade infrastructure facilities including roads, electricity and the water supply for overall development.

The projects will not only develop the tourism sector, but will also create many economic activities, Kalaiselvam said.