Category: Tourism
Sri Lanka’s MICE tourism capacity could do better: Minister
Jun 10, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should look at increasing its potential as a venue for holding Meetings, Incentive travel, Conferences and Events (MICE) tourism, a minister said. “This is something we need to work on as our MICE tourism capacity is lagging behind,” John Amaratunge, minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs, said. […]
Cruise passenger volumes double in Asia; Sri Lanka eyes market
June 09, 2016 (LBO) – Asian cruise passenger volume nearly doubled to almost 1.4 million in 2014, from 775,000 in 2012, according to a report by the Cruise Lines International Association. The association says demand for cruising has increased 68 percent over the last 10 years, and Asia had a passenger capacity of 2.2 million […]
Sri Lanka tourist arrivals up 10 pct in May, Europe leads
June 07, 2016 (LBO) – Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka rose 10 percent in May to 125,044 visitors compared with the same month last year, official data showed. Arrivals during the first five months of the year were up 18.4 percent to 846,229 visitors, compared with the same period last year. April, May and June […]
Restrictions on issuing passports to Sri Lankan citizens lifted: Foreign Ministry
June 01, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government has issued a circular ending the restrictions placed in March 2011 on the issuance of passports to Sri Lankan citizens resident abroad who, at different times, were compelled to leave Sri Lanka due to conflict or political reasons. Releasing a statement Foreign Ministry said in March 2011, […]
Shangri-La opens 145-acre resort in Hambantota Sri Lanka
June 01, 2016 (LBO) – Shangri-La opened its 145-acre Hambantota Resort & Spa in the Southeast Sri Lanka on Wednesday, one of the major hotel chains to enter the island after the end of a war with Tamil Tiger separatists. The 300-room beachfront resort, which includes an 18-hole golf course and an artisan village, launched […]
Sri Lanka’s Aitken Spence March net down 56-pct amid lower revenues
May 31, 2016 (LBO) – Profits at Sri Lanka’s Aitken Spence group which has interests in tourism, logistics and power generation fell 56 percent to 608 million rupees in the March 2016 quarter, interim accounts showed. The group reported earnings of 1.50 rupees per share for the quarter against 3.41 rupees per share reported a […]
Jetwing Lighthouse to build new hotel at Unawatuna for Rs350mn
May 05, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s hotels and travel sector front runner Lighthouse Hotel has decided to construct a new hotel through incorporation of a fully owned subsidiary. The company said in a stock exchange filing that the Board of Directors has approved a proposal to build the hotel with 36 rooms at Unawatuna area for […]
Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka up 20.0-pct upto April
May 04, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals for the first four months were up 20 percent to 721,185, official data said. In April arrivals rose 11.6 percent from a year earlier to 136,367 with continued gains in India and China. Visitors from India rose 12.3 percent to 25,890 in April while Chinese tourists […]
Shareholders approve Eden Hotel Lanka rights issue
Apr 06, 2016 (LBO) – Shareholders of Eden Hotel Lanka today approved a resolution on a rights issue of the company which aimed at repaying part of its outstanding debts. The leisure sector player Eden Hotel Lanka said the company is to issue 52.8 million new ordinary shares at 20 rupees each in the ratio of […]
Sri Lanka tourist arrivals up 23-pct in March
Apr 05, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals rose 22.8 percent to 192,841 in March from a year earlier driven by arrivals from India and China, the data from tourist promotion office showed. In the first quarter of 2016, arrivals were up 22.1 percent to 584,818. Arrivals from South Asia were up 28.6 percent to 44,175 in […]
Indonesia grants visa-free facility to Sri Lanka, other countries
Apr 04, 2016 (LBO) – Indonesia has granted visa-free facility to 169 countries including Sri Lanka under a new visa regulation. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has signed Presidential Regulation concerning Visit Visa Exemption early last month adding 79 countries to the list. Indonesian immigration office said passport holders of these countries are exempt for having […]
Iranian Taban Air charter arrives in Sri Lanka
Mar 29, 2016 (LBO) – A Taban Air charter carrying 180 passengers traveling from Iran touched down in Sri Lanka earlier this month, Aitken Spence Travels said. The charter during the annual Norouz festival was greeted with a water cannon on its flight to Colombo following a lapse of 5 years. The arrival marks the […]