Category: Tourism

Nov 01, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Aitken Spence Hotels will add another hotel to properties under its management in Oman, taking the total to six, an official said.Aitken Spence also owns and manages hotels in India and the Maldives as well as Sri Lanka and is an expanding regional leisure group. The firm operates […]

Oct 29, 2013 (LBO) – Water’s Edge, a hospitality facility coming under Sri Lanka’s Urban Development Authority is seeking investors to build a 200 room hotel, an official said.He said there was already interest from several investors and one will be chosen to build the hotel. Water’s Edge, which was built as a golf club […]

Oct 22, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings says the size and scope of a 650 million US dollar plus project which also involves a casino has not changed as investment approvals appeared to be taking longer.Tax breaks for two casino resorts, the second to be built by Australia’s Crown group were due […]

Oct 22, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will issue new gazettes clarifying tax breaks offered to two casino resorts, and is also looking to come up with rules to address concerns raised, investment promotions minister Lakshman Abeywardene said.Two gazette notices giving tax breaks to large integrated resorts involving casinos to be built by Sri Lanka’s […]

Oct 21, 2013 (LBO) – A proposed casino resort in Sri Lanka by James Packer’s Crown group has appointed as its ambassadors, Australian cricket captain Micheal Clarke and Vivien Greig, whose husband Tony is a household name in the island. Crown group is building what it calls a landmark iconic resort by the side of […]

Oct 20, 2013 (LBO) – Two planned gaming resorts in Sri Lanka are expected to link up with existing casinos in the city and will require no new licenses to be issued, the investment promotion ministry has said.Australia’s Crown group and Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings are to build two ‘integrated resorts’ with luxury hotels, […]

Oct 18, 2013 (LBO) – A 400 million US dollar high end casino resort in Sri Lanka would employ 2,500 people and ‘redefine’ luxury tourism in the island, Australia’s Crown group has said.The opposition has said it will reverse tax holidays if it comes to power, and impose a 40 percent tax on gaming revenues […]

MALÉ, October 11, 2013 (AFP) – The Maldives is one of the world’s most exclusive holiday destinations but it has quietly opened up to backpackers in the last five years with a reform that has upset religious hardliners. Most visitors arrive at the country’s airport island, take a speed boat or seaplane to their expensive […]

Oct 11, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals rose 26.2 percent to 89,761 in September 2013 from a year earlier with visitors up 15.5 percent to 693,772 in first nine months data from the state tourism office showed. Up to September Western European visitors were up 14.4 percent to 307,831. Western European visitors peak […]

Sept 18, 2013 (LBO) – A 450 million US dollar project by Hong Kong based Shangri La in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo will begin construction by end October investment promotions minister Lakshman Abeywardene said.The project is still in the planning stages with promoters saying soil conditions required design changes. “We have been told the planning […]

Sept 16, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals surged 26.1 percent in August 2013 from a year earlier to 100,224, with India, Germany and China surging, official data showed.Middle East which was also lacklustre this year was up 75.4 percent to 8,683 in the month with visitors so far up 4.0 percent 35,931. East […]

Sept 04, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Hemans Holding said it is building a 40 million US dollar luxury hotel with Thailand’s minor group.The group through its Serendib Leisure Management Ltd has manages AVANI Bentota Resort and Spa, AVANI Kalutara Resort, Club Hotel Dolphin and Hotel Sigiriya. The 154 room 5-star rated hotel will be […]