Travel

Record increase in tourists upto April

Arrivals surpass 200,000:

Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka for April have been recorded as 38,300, almost a 47 percent increase against April 2009.

Most regions indicate a very strong increase, with Middle East showing the largest, with over an 100 percent increase for the month YOY.

On a cumulative basis the arrivals for four months are close upon 200,000, which is again a very high 50 percent increase compared to the first four months of 2009.

All markets including West Europe, East Europe, Middle East, East Asia and South Asia all recorded a healthy increase ranging from 20 percent - 100 percent, Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka President Srilal Miththapala said.

However, one must remember that the first few months of 2009 was possibly the worst period for Sri Lanka Tourism when the war was at its most ferocious stages.

Therefore, comparing the performance of 2010 to 2009, may not give a proper indication of the growth, and perhaps it would be better to compare with the first four months of 2004, he said.

This analysis indicates that arrivals for 2010 have in fact surpassed the first four months of 2004 by 22 percent. Even for the month of April, there is an increase of 25 percent when compared to 2004.

Therefore,this further indicates that the growth in 2010 has been quite strong and sustained.

Although we expected to see some sort of reduction due to the disruption to air traffic from the Iceland volcano, there has not been any considerable impact.

However, with the low seasons months of May and June now upon us, the occupancy levels are bound to reduce.

The impending Soccer World Cup in South Africa could also have some impact on European arrival, since some segments of European travellers could opt to visit South Africa for the soccer, rather than take a holiday in the tropics, he said.

Chaaya Blu Trincomalee opens

First four-star resort in Eastern Province :

Just a few months after the Government unveiled a massive tourism development project for the east, the John Keells Hotels Group has opened the first resort that conforms to four-star standards on the East Coast, adding a new dimension to tourism in that part of the country.

Chaaya Blu Trincomalee is the first sizeable investment seen on the East Coast and will meet the demand for quality accommodation with the increasing inflow of tourists into that area.

With the onset of peace, John Keells Hotels group has now taken a pioneering stance as stated by Executive Vice President Jayantissa Kehelpannala.

"We take pride in launching a resort of the calibre of Chaaya Blu, a first of its kind on the East Coast, within a year of gaining peace in Sri Lanka.

"It was a much rewarding challenge, given that we can now offer our guests the opportunity to discover and savour all that is truly unique to the East Coast while staying amidst star class comforts."

The project, one of the first investment decisions taken by John Keells upon the dawn of peace in May last year, was put into play almost soon after, as the industry itself had previously been restrained in investing in East Coast tourism.

"With Chaaya Blu Trincomalee we continue to be tourism trendsetters," John Keells Holdings Deputy Chairman Ajit Gunewardene said.

"It is not merely with pride but also with a sense of responsibility that we believe the success of this launch will create confidence towards attracting more tourism development on the East Coast."

With over three decades experience in the tourism industry, JKH, an undisputed industry leader in the hospitality industry has added fillip to an area of the country which has for long not had much development given the constraints it faced.

"And with the dawn of peace and the realisation that there was a dearth of a resort conforming to international standards in Trincomalee, we made a decision to quickly cement our presence on the east coast."

Chaaya Blu, will, through its contemporary architecture, features and facilities, add a new dynamic to Sri Lankan resorts as a whole.

This 70s property now revamped as a stylish retro-chic product will also set trends in modern resort interiors being outside the typical Sri Lankan resort design."

Architect Channa Daswatte has imbued unique blues of the Trincomalee sea and the whites of the sand into the double arched architecture reminiscent of the 'retro' years, Chaaya Blu encapsulates the ring of the hip within a cool relaxing milieu.

The unique architecture moves away from the traditional to an inspiration garnered from the James Bond movie flick "Die Another Day" to create 80 rooms including 20 chalets and two suites that compliment the Trincomalee landscape.

However much of the promise of the resort seems to involve showcasing the wondrous offerings of Trincomalee itself which have remained long inaccessible for most, Sri Lankans included.

Another reason that makes Chaaya Blu special is the abundant sightings of Blue Whales which now complete a triad of whale sighting locations in Sri Lanka, collectively spanning eight months of the year.

The hotel has a dedicated excursion centre as well as a PADI certified diving centre to enable guests to make the most of some of the best dive spots in Asia, go snorkeling around Pigeon Island, join a whale and dolphin watching expedition or embark on exciting and insightful tours into the yet unexplored locality." he enthused.

Heritance Kandalama wins EarthCheck Silver certification

The environmental practices of Heritance Kandalama have been recognised by EarthCheck; the world's leading sustainable travel and tourism certification organization in line with the Green Globe Company Standard for Travel and Tourism.

Heritance Kandalama was first certified by Green Globe in 1999 and was the first hotel in Asia to be Green Globe certified based on the agenda 21 principles for sustainable development endorsed by 182 Heads of State at the United Nations Rio De Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992.

Heritance Kandalama has now achieved Silver certification under the revised Green Globe Company standards for Travel and Tourism.

The EarthCheck Program is widely regarded as the world's most scientifically rigorous, and is focused on maximising operational efficiencies to minimise CO2 emissions, while supporting host communities.

It looks at key environmental indicators such as energy and water consumption, total waste production as well as community commitment, to determine the level of performance.

Only those companies that can demonstrate operational practices that adhere to the highest environmental standards receive the much-coveted Silver Certification.

"We are delighted to be awarded the EarthCheck Silver Certification for Environmental Practices. Winning this award attests to our stance on sustainability and reinforces our commitment towards reducing energy consumption which will help us reduce our carbon footprint", said Aitken Spence Hotels, Managing Director Malin Hapugoda.

Prior to achieving certification, Heritance Kandalama successfully benchmarked its operations using the EarthCheck tool. This involved the organisation submitting a year's worth of operational data, and having it compared to that of other organisations that are similar in kind.

"The ability to provide the world's finest green hotel experiences is made tangible by the accolades won by Heritance Kandalama. The awards and accreditations won by the hotel are a testament of our commitment to our guests and the environment in which we operate in" said Aitken Spence Hotels, Assistant Vice President B. H. R. Sariffo'deen.

The EarthCheck Program uses more than a decade of factual, operational data, submitted by over 1000 companies in 60+ countries. By taking such a holistic view of company practices, Heritance Kandalama was able to identify where they were out-performing others, and where room for improvement remained.

"I am delighted that Heritance Kandalama has achieved Certified Silver status," EC3 Global, CEO Stewart Moore said. Heritance Kandalama has recognised a maturing of the science behind climate change and environmental sustainability, and has chosen to apply the highest possible standard to their practices. "Going well beyond mere tick-box action is not an easy task.

It requires the commitment of all levels of staff, as well as a readiness to submit to expert scrutiny. Heritance Kandalama has emerged as an example of an organisation committed to environmentally sustainable tourism, and the EarthCheck logo will serve to demonstrate that their claims are both credible and relevant."

Changing regulatory environments, rapidly evolving markets and complex risk implications require organisations access specialised tools and expertise.

Taking a science-based approach, Heritance Kandalama has increased efficiencies, maximised guest experience and minimised their environmental footprint.

Heritance Kandalama has turned garbage into a resource by practising the '7 R' principle introduced by Environmental Consultant Ravi de Silva.

This has resulted in the hotel producing zero waste while also benefiting monetarily by selling sorted waste for reuse and recycling purposes.

EarthCheck is the next generation of environmental certification and benchmarking. It is the culmination of a journey that began in 1987 and continues to this day.

Exclusively owned by EC3 Global, the EarthCheck Program is used by more sustainable travel and tourism companies than any other; helping them navigate the path forwards with certainty and peace of mind, while recognizing that the planet deserves more than half measures.