Travel

Tourism picks up in East

Chamber formulates new plans :

Eastern Province Tourism is picking up in the region with the dawn of peace.

The number of foreign and local visitors coming to Arugambay, Pasikudah and Nilaveli is increasing daily.

Chamber of Tourism and Industry Chairman A M Jaufer handing over the proposals to MP Sarath Weerasekara.

Facilities available to the visitors need improvement. The new opportunities can also be utilized to the development of living standards of the people in the area. After taking into consideration the facts the newly established Chamber of Tourism and Industry has formulated a comprehensive set of proposals to be implemented.

The document containing these proposals was handed over to Digamadulla District MP District Co-ordinating Committee Chairman Sarath Weerasekera by Chamber of Tourism and Industry President A M Jaufer in Colombo last week.

Among the proposals are improving interior roads leading to the beach, electricity and water supply, standardization of hotels in the area, creating awareness among fishing community in the region on the importance of tourism, a program to keep the environment clean, developing inland fishing in Inginiyagala Senanayake Samudra, Irakkamam Kulam, Ampara Kulam and Periya Kulam Akkaraipattu, Attalachchenai Konawatte river and the lagoons of Pottuvil and Panama, developing religious and historical places in the area as tourist attractions and Maha Oya/Padiyathalawa hot water springs, establishing a mini aerodrome in Panama or Lahugala and improving the Ampara airport runaway enabling to land AN 32 aircraft, construction of international level sports complex in Arugambay, improvement of fruit and vegetable cultivation to cater to the tourism industry through new technical inputs and reconstructing the Kalmunai Rest House effected by the war, to consider constructing a new railway line from Batticaloa to Arugambay.

On receiving the proposals Weerasekara said he has already written to the Tourist Board Chairman requesting him to appoint a committee to recommend on the development activities related to Tourism in the Ampara District.

He said he will also take up the matter with the Economic Development Minister and international donor agencies to implement suitable proposals.

With the Government targeting 2.5m tourist arrivals by 2016, the requirement of hotel rooms is 30,000.

Presently the country has only 14,500 hotel rooms. It is important to meet this target with good quality facilities. In order to achieve this objective the Chamber will be the only private institution to support the industry with Government assistance.

Jetwing Lighthouse

Lighthouse feted for energy efficiency

Jetwing Hotels not only grabbed Gold for its flagship hotel, the Jetwing Beach in Negombo but also clinched Merit for Jetwing Lighthouse and a Bronze for Jetwing Hunas Falls in the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Awards Presentation on Tuesday evening at the BMICH.

Jetwing has been in the forefront of green practices for quite some time now and all of its properties are under a green wrap ably lead by Jetwing Engineering Head Jude Kasthuriarachi.

The Colombo Municipal Council inspected food outlets, within the city limits during the food safety week declared by the Health Ministry. Colombo City Hotel was awarded "A" Grade certification for maintaining excellent food with standard of hygiene and safety at an Award ceremony held recently. General Manager Travin Gerreyn, Chef Kithsiri Premalal and the staff of Colombo City Hotel with the award. Picture by Susantha Wijegunasekera