Category: Tourism

Jan 14, 2010 (LBO) – Investors connected to Taj Samudra hotel in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo may build another hotel in the same premises, economic development minister Basil Rajapaksa said. The Taj group said late last year that the existing 5-star Taj Samudra may go through a 60 million US dollar upgrade. The group manages […]

Jan 12, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals in December 2010 rose 48. 8 percent to 84,627 from a year earlier, driven by sharp increases from traditional European markets seen due to the winter season, official data showed. Tourists from Denmark, Finland and Sweden saw increases of over one hundred percent during the month. […]

Jan 05, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s East West Properties plans to make a rights issue to raise funds to invest in the booming tourism industry and for working capital for ongoing projects, a stock exchange filing said. “The purpose of the rights is to provide working capital for the ongoing funding of East West […]

Jan 04, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka expects to announce the investors who have been chosen to develop 10 islands in Kalpitiya, off the north-west coast for tourist resort development in the next two weeks, the chairman of the tourism office said. The government embarked on developing resorts in the north-west region after the end […]

Jan 03, 2011 (LBO) – A new online visa scheme Sri Lanka plans to introduce, replacing existing on-arrival visas, will be tested for three months before the government decides to implement it, an official said. Sri Lanka received more than 600,000 tourists in 2010 and aims to attract 700,000 this year. Nalaka Godahewa, chairman of […]

Jan 02, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourist industry wants the government to postpone a new rule to charge for visas, scrapping on-arrival visas, saying it could deter visitors whose numbers boomed after the end of a war, a report said. Approval for a visa would not take more than a single day. ‘New visa […]

December 31, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has revived plans to scrap the visa on arrival for foreigners, except Maldivians and and Singaporeans, and will launch an on-line visa application system, officials said Friday. The local tourism industry has been buoyed by a near 50 percent increase in foreign visitors since fighting ended in May […]

Dec 28, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Hotel Reefcomber has struck a deal to build a four-star beach resort with water-front villas, a stock exchange filing said. Hotel Reefcomber has finalised the purchase of land called ‘Santhoduwa’ at Santhoduwa village in Akkaraipatu within the secretariat division and pradeshiya sabha (local council) limits of Kalpitiya, it […]

Dec 28, 2010 (LBO) – Hong Kong-based leisure group Shangri-La has signed a deal to acquire land to build a seven-star hotel in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, the chairman of the tourism authority Nalaka Godahewa said. Shangri-La signed the agreement Tuesday to acquire 10 acres of government property near the Galle Face green promenade, […]

Dec 28, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Esna Holdings, a consultancy and advisory services firm, plans to set up a luxury beach resort in Nilaveli, a prime beach front on the island’s east coast, a statement said. Sri Lanka has seen an influx of tourists after the end of its 30-year ethnic war in May […]

Dec 17, 2010 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government is encouraging owners of heritage homes to convert them into tourist accommodation as it gets ready to meet an influx of visitors after the end of a war, officials said. Sri Lanka received its 600,000th tourist this month and plans to attract at least 700,000 visitors […]

Dec 16, 2010 (LBO) – Eleven leisure firms have submitted proposals worth 500 million US dollars to build hotels and other leisure facilities in 10 islets off Sri Lanka’s North Western coast, an official said. Chairman of Sri Lanka’s tourism development authority Nalaka Godahewa said the bids closed on December 03 and successful parties will […]