Category: Tourism

June 12, 2013 (LBO) – Investment approval for Australian magnate James Packer’s Crown group for a joint venture mixed development in Sri Lanka is being finalized and details will be presented parliament soon, investment minister Lakshman Abeywardena said.If the promoters wish to shift a casino to the project he said that was between the partners […]

June 11, 2013 (LBO) – Applicants from Sri Lanka who had recently travelled to some North American, European and Pacific countries could apply for a fast track visa, the UK High Commission (embassy) in Colombo said. From June 24, Sri Lankans who had travelled “without difficulty” to the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand or […]

June 6, 2013 (LBO) – Cinnamon Lakeside, a unit of Sri Lanka’s John Keells group said it saw more ’emerging market’ guests in the past year, while facing competition from luxury apartments. The company said in the past year occupancy had risen to a average of 60 percent from 55 percent and room rates had […]

Jun 05, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s transport infrastructure is being built but the country is badly in need of destination marketing, a top leisure groups have said as higher end hotel saw lower occupancy.In December 2012, occupancy at Sri Lanka’s 5-star rated hotels dropped to 81.9 percent from 95.7 percent and at 4-star hotels […]

June 05, 2013 (LBO) – Cantaloupe Aqua, a private resort in Thalpe, in Sri Lanka’s Southern coast said it had been recognized by Trip Advisor, a travel review site and Agoda.com, an online booking system for two years running based on user responses. The resort had received a ‘gold circle’ award from Agoda.com and a […]

June 5, 2013 (LBO) – A luxury hotel with Australian casino magnate James Packer’s Crown group targeting Indian and Chinese high rollers may need an investment of up to 400 million US dollars, its Sri Lanka partner said. He said the hotel will have a shopping mall and restaurants with specialist chefs. Wijeratne’s Rank Entertainment […]

June 04, 2013 (LBO) – Nilaveli Beach Hotel in Trincomalee in Sri Lanka’s Eastern coat said it had been recognized by Trip Advisor, a travel review site for two years running based on user responses.The Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence is given only to the top 10 percent of businesses listed on the site, the […]

ARIS, May 30, 2013 (AFP) – Fewer Europeans are planning to go away for a summer holiday as economic austerity bites, a new study shows, with levels of foreign vacation travel at their lowest for eight years.No more than 54 percent of Europeans are planning to get away for summer holiday this year, according to […]

May 30, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Beruwala Walk Inn, a unit of Singapore-based Banyan Tree leisure group will re-build a hotel which was washed away in a tsunami in 2004, a top official has said.Banyan Tree gained control of Beruwala Walk in from John Keells Holdings in October 2003 and closed it for refurbishment […]

May 30, 2013 (LBO) – Anilana Hotels and Properties Limited has been given the nod to raise up to 960 million rupees through a public issue of shares, the Colombo Stock Exchange said.The firm will offer 40 million ordinary shares at 12 rupees a share to raise 480 million rupees and go up to 80 […]

May 28, 2013 (LBO) – Nepal’s Binod Chaudhary is expanding tourism investments in Sri Lanka and has also got preliminary approval for a greenfield cement factory in the island’s north, a media report said.Sri Lanka’s The Daily Mirror newspaper said Chaudhary is negotiating with owners for land in the Jaffna peninsular to build a 600,000 […]

May 27, 2013 (LBO) – Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka rose 14.7 percent to 79,829 in April 2013, with Eastern Europe, China and Maldives showing gains but India and the Middle East weakening, official data showed.Arrivals from Western Europe, the top generating region rose 10 percent to 27,531, and was up 12.1 percent to 156,658, […]