TRAVEL

Hotels ready for World Cup

Charumini DE SILVA

The local hotel sector is ready to cater to the heavy tourist flow during the Cricket World Cup 2011 which will feature some matches in Sri Lanka, a senior official said.

Sri Lanka is ready to provide enough accommodation to all the fans who are keen in participating in the Cricket World Cup next February and March, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) acting Managing Director Malraj Kiriella told Daily News Business.

Malraj Kiriella

The World Cup 2011 matches are scheduled to be held in Colombo, Kandy and Hambantota. Many of the Colombo city hotels are already booked and is having high occupancy rates.

As there are not enough built rooms yet, as a solution to this the SLTPB in collaboration with the leading hoteliers will provide luxury tent camps for the visitors with the latest accessories and facilities, he said.

Leading travel agents have introduced five packages especially for cricket fans around the world ranging from accommodation, scenic air travelling to ground travelling. These packages have attracted a significant number of tourists already.

He said as 2011 is the Visit Sri Lanka year and with the country jointly hosting the Cricket World Cup they can expect that there will be an increase in the number of tourist arrivals next year.

The SLTPB targets 700,000 tourist arrivals by the end 2011.

The tourism industry will benefit greatly as Sri Lanka will have number of recreation activities for travellers throughout 2011, Kiriella said.

The Bureau has planned different themes for each month as it is Visit Sri Lanka year and January has been tagged with the beach theme while February is tagged as sports and adventure.

The SLTPB has not only planned on Cricket World Cup 2011, but also water sports and other adventure tourism activities.

Kiriella said along with the bureau's planning, the hotels have also agreed to have various activities within hotels for their guests to celebrate the sports and adventure tourism month.

The hotels have also agreed to have recreation activities like theme foods in the hotels to satisfy them with different palates.

Reefcomber becomes Citrus

Resorts in Waskaduwa, Kalpitiya:

Citrus Leisure PLC, formerly Hotel Reefcomber PLC, has marked its name change with an announcement to build a four star resort in Kalpitiya following the acquisition of 78 acres of land identified as "Santhoduwa-Kalpitiya."

The total investment in the land amounts to Rs 122.18 million.

The acquisition is the company's second following a change in management earlier this year.

Citrus Leisure, Chairman Prema Cooray said their decision to enter Kalpitiya is a strategic one that considers the area's vast untapped potential to become a tourist hotspot.

Kalpitiya is one of the zones being targeted in the Government's new vision for tourism and Citrus Leisure PLC is excited to be a flagbearer in the emergence of Destination Kalpitiya.

Renowned architect Murad Ismail has come on board to design the resort, bringing with him his extensive experience in designing world-class properties, including the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel in the Maldives.

The purchase of the "Santhoduwa-Kalpitiya" land is the company's second major acquisition following its purchase of a 7.2 acre beach property in Waskaduwa, where construction will begin in early 2011 on a 150 roomed four-star property.

Jetwing Beach seasonal promotion

Jetwing Beach is celebrating this holiday season with scrumptious cuisine, traditional carols and various other fun filled activities. It will be a twelve day event following the tradition of Christmastide which is popularly known as the Twelve Days of Christmas.

These twelve days will be memorable days during which a tropical Christmas will come alive.

The Twelve Days of Christmas kicked off on December 21 with a range of seafood and a sizzler steak night.

However the staff and guests did not forget the spirit of sharing and giving that is central to the meaning of Christmas and this meant that income from a cocktail promotion was donated to an orphanage for differently-abled children, while that night's entertainment of Christmas carols was provided by the choir of the School for the Deaf and Blind.

Hoteliers want electricity tariffs to remain

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

The Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) is confident the country will be able to cater to the needs of tourists expected to increase.

"We are happy that the country surpassed the 600,000 number before the end of this year. It is a very good indication of projections as per our way forward document which was prepared almost a year ago," Tourist Hotels Association President Anura Lokuhetti told Daily News Business.

Anura Lokuhetti

"We are a country blessed with so many natural resources ideally suitable for tourism. We are even happier as the President and the Government has identified tourism as a major thrust industry to develop the economy of Sri Lanka.

As per the President's expectation of achieving 2.5 million tourists by 2016 would become a reality if we really ensure that the tourism industry is not troubled by various other sporadic changes in electricity rates," he said.

The new tariff structure which has been published by the Public Utility Commission has put tourism development in a difficult situation as the proposed rates are almost 111 percent more than the current rates.

"We have requested the PUC that we are not expecting any concessions but to treat us as any other industry and extend the same rates that are offered to other industries.

"This proposed new tariff structure has caused much concern in terms of industry people in regard to investing more money for the refurbishment of the hotels and build new hotels.

As per the President's target of 2.5 million tourists by 2016 will generate at least 1.2 million jobs directly and indirectly and at least 20 percent of the population will become dependants of this industry.

Foreign exchange revenue earnings from tourism would go up to about 2.5 billion dollars by 2016. Therefore, it is essential that the tourism is not troubled by this kind of sporadic changes of tariff," he said.

"We should be able to achieve at least 700,000 tourists by 2011 end as per our projections with the declaration of 2011 as the "Visit Sri Lanka" year.

As the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka we are happy that finally we have been able to finalize a tag line "Wonder of Asia." "We wish and hope that we will be able to continue with this great tag line for the next few years," he said.

Siddhalepa Resort ready for winter season

Asoka Hettigoda

There is high potential in the tourism sector and country needs more room capacity to cater to the expected influx of tourist arrivals in the years to come.

The Siddhalepa Resort is fully refurbished and ready for the winter season. The peaceful environment has enabled the Group to invest in the refurbishment to meet the growing demand of the tourists, Hettigoda Group Managing Director Asoka Hettigoda told Daily News Business.

"We are positive that there is a future in the tourism sector. We plan to feature the hotel as an up market health resort.

"It was necessary to improve facilities in the areas of restaurant, staff and the public area. The refurbishment is completed at present and we are ready to welcome the guests," he said.

The Siddhalepa Resort now offers a better product and has new food menus and improved on services. The resort is currently training its staff for better performance.

The resort has made new recruits and given a facelift. The guests could log on to the website for more details in English, German and Russian, it will soon have Japanese and French. There will be direct booking agents offering Ayurveda packages.

The resort has four Ayurveda centres in Europe. The guests who come from Europe who obtain facilities at these centres could extend the service in Sri Lanka.

The Siddhalepa Resort, Wadduwa

"We are the only Sri Lankan company to have operations in Europe and Siddhalepa is a best known brand there. It offers a whole range of treatments and complete service. We promote holistic lifestyles through the resort," he said.

"We produce our medicine and have all the necessary certifications. Our family tradition goes back to five generations. The resort is run as a professional ayurveda centre. We are the only ayurveda company to have a hotel, spa and own products.

There is a new program at the resort to promote a healthy lifestyle in addition to specific ayurveda therapy. The resort focuses on Western and Eastern Europe and plans to expand to markets in Japan.

In addition to health facilities the resort also offers Ayurveda programs in yoga, meditation, Ayurveda food for healthy living, gymnasium faculties, Ayurveda Lectures by consultants, insight to medicinal plants, herbs and production of Ayurveda medicine. The general facilities include star class accommodation facilities and water sports activities.

"We will be closing the resort for one month in June 2011 to upgrade the rest of the 20 rooms and the swimming pool. A new sea view restaurant and a few structural changes are planned to be developed," Hettigoda said. SJ

Travel headaches continue

More travel chaos was expected Wednesday in the US northeast after hundreds of flights were canceled and the region dug out from what what some are calling "Snowpocalypse."

The frustration for travelers remained after one of the biggest blizzards in years, which slammed much of the eastern seaboard from the Carolinas into Canada's Maritime provinces.

The system, packing enormous snowfalls and gales left piles of snow as deep as 80 centimeters (32 inches) that created havoc for travelers, especially those flying. AFP