Category: Tourism

Dec 13, 2011 (LBO) – Singapore-based retailer Mohamed Mustafa will build a 115 million dollar mall and mixed development in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo, the island’s ministry of economic development said. The mall will be built in the Colombo 15, postal area in Sir Ramanathan Mawatha, a ministry statement said. An agreement was signed with […]

Dec 11, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main historical, and wildlife attractions had begun to draw more visitors, weaning the island away from being mainly a beach tourist destination, deputy economic development minister Lakshman Abeywardene said. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa had drawn 103,335 visitors of 15.7 percent of the total and Anuradhapura 75,917 or […]

Dec 09, 2011 (LBO) – The program Sri Lanka’s HSBC Galle Literary Festival 2012 is the last stages of being finalized and tickets will go on sale from January 04, organizers said. The festival runs from January, 18 to 22. Among the writers confirmed to attend are Joanne Trollope, Richard Dawkins, Tom Stoppard, D. B.C […]

Dec 09, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals rose 25. 8 percent to 90,889 in November 2011 with arrivals during the 11 months to November rising 33. 1 percent to 758,458 data from the tourism promotion office said. In the 11 months to November total visitors from South Asia rose 38.8 percent to 211,777. […]

Dec 06, 2011 (LBO) – The Lighthouse Hotel in southern Sri Lanka said it plans to expand by adding more rooms and new food and beverage outlets amid a boom in tourist arrivals. The company, whose hotel is on the southern coast, said in a stock exchange filing it will build 15-20 rooms, a restaurant, […]

Dec 05, 2011 (LBO) – A tourist ‘shopping precinct’ has been built in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo at the premises of a hospital in dating back to the Dutch colonial period. The Dutch hospital was opened by economic development minister Basil Rajapaksa and his brother defence secretary Gothabhaya Rajapaksa who also oversees the country’s urban […]

HANOI, Dec (Asia Pulse) – Some 5.3 million foreign visitors came to Vietnam in the first 11 months of 2011, up 15.9 per cent year-on-year, and meeting the country’s tourism target, according to the Vietnam General Statistics Office. Tourism, including domestic, earned an estimated VND110 trillion (US$5.2 billion) or 4.5 per cent of the nation’s […]

Dec 02, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has been among the best destinations to visit in 2012 National Geographic Traveler, by US-based magazine, which has focused on the island’s hill country. Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals have been rising since the end of a 30-year war in 2009. “Nuwara Eliya is a colonial-era resort town in […]

Dec 01, 2011 (LBO) – An on-arrival visa facility for many countries will continue till March 2012 and will not be discontinued by the end of December 2011, due to teething problems in an electronic approval system, a media report said. Citizens of South Asian nations will be able to get the visa for 10 […]

Dec 01, 2011 (LBO) – India’s ITC Ltd, franchisee for US-based Sheraton leisure group will invest 300 million US dollars in Sri Lanka’s on a beachfront in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo, minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said. But the firm has now been offered alternative land, reports said. The mixed development project will be built on five […]

Nov 27, 2011 (LBO) – Thailand’s Minor International is to build more hotels in Sri Lanka in partnership with the island’s Hemas group and plans to re-open two existing properties after refurbishment and rebranding, officials said. Minor International’s Rajakarier said the Kani Lanka hotel in Kalutara, 80 percent owned by Minor and the balance by […]

Nov 25, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is in talks to with India’s ITC Ltd a franchisee of Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ Sheraton brand to build a 450 million US dollar hotel in a beachfront in the capital Colombo, a media report said. Reuters, a new agency quoted Sri Lanka’s Treasury Secretary as saying that […]