Category: Tourism

The Connaissance Group is to make the best of the hot weather, enticing outbound Indian travellers with a summer promotion at its hotels.The Group is targeting a 5 mn strong Indian outbound market to fill up hotels in an ordinarily slow season, where occupancies hover around 45-50 percent.rn rnrnrnldblquote Outbound travel from India in the […]

The idea of a lquote tea resort is growing within Watawala Plantations, to entice high-spending tourists to have a hands-on experience in tea making.Upto 15% of unproductive estate land has been earmarked for the tea resort and will sell rooms to an average US$ 200 per-night. rn rnWatawala Plantations CEO, Vish Govindasami said the firm […]

Tough competition from bus services plying the North and East routes and the expected slowdown in the number of Sri Lankan expatriates returning to catch a glimpse of their once time home could force local operators to absorb the increased cost of jet fuel and keep ticket prices at the current levels. A senor official […]

Sri Lankans applying to enter the US will be electronically fingerprinted with effect Wednesday, as the US toughens security laws at its embassies and consulates in 120 countries. Together with the standard digital photograph, the fingerprinting process will be the second biometric indicator on all visas to the United States.rn rnldblquote It is designed to […]

Carsons is exploring alternate uses for its loss-making Pegasus Reef Hotel, from an urban housing project to up-scale entertainment. The hotel has been struggling under a string of accumulated losses of about Rs.100 mn, laying off staff and scaling back on operations last year.rn rnIt curtailed operations to about 50 rooms in 2003, with occupancy […]

Sri Lankan authorities Monday sought divine intervention to calm a colony of venomous wasps who stung more than 200 tourists at the fifth-century rock fortress of Sigiriya, a World Heritage Site.Cultural ministry officials said they offered alms and cash to gods at the foot of the 180-metre (600-foot) fortress, 160 kilometres (100 miles) north of […]

The new government will continue with plans to put in place a Tourism Development Bill and restructure the Tourist Board on priority basis this year.Mooted last year under UNF rule, the proposed Bill will create a new Tourism Promotional Authority to take over marketing and promotional functions from the Tourist Board.rn rnThe Tourist Board is […]

Local inbound travel operators will have yet another travel distribution system at their disposal to help increase tourist arrivals to a record 600,000 visitors this year. The Galaxy global travel distribution system gives wholesale-priced hotel rooms and transfers to retail travel agents and other travel professionals worldwide, enabling them to immediately access, book, confirm and […]

Transparency International, an NGO that fights corruption worldwide says the country needs to make lquote abuse of public resources during elections a criminal offense.Local politicians freely use government resources like vehicles, official residences and government employees in their election campaigns.rn rnldblquote Merely commenting on it will not be enough. We want the media also to […]

Making its music, Sri Lanka will have its first annual drum festival in September, showcasing local drummers and from far a-field as Africa and South America.To be held in the hill country capital of Kandy, the three-day festival could also coincide with the Kandy Perahera.rn rnThe lquote Festival of Drums is to be built into […]

Modeled on the likes of top branded resorts like Banyan Tree, Jetwing Hotels is revamping its hotels and spas into three core brands endash Eco, Ayurveda and beach holidays.The group is making a determined shift up-market, in efforts to lure the discerning high spenders with more than just the best package deal.rn rnldblquote In the […]

Sri Lankan aviation authorities have cleared Abu Dhabi based industry newcomer, Etihad Airways to fly daily to Colombo from March 03.Area Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Kumar de Silva says Etihad will take off with three weekly fights to Colombo with the main stray of initial sales coming from the migrant labour population.rn […]