Category: Tourism

MADRID, September 3, 2010 (AFP) – World tourism rebounded strongly this year from the global financial crisis, led by Asia and the Middle East, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) said Friday. But the Madrid-based body also urged caution, noting that some major developed nations have not yet fully emerged from the economic doldrums. […]

Sept 02, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Renuka Holdings is considering developing property is owns in the north and east as tourist resorts and is in talks with potential partners, an official said. Turnover for the period grew to 1. 5 billion rupees from a restated 136 million rupees the previous year, before the acquisition […]

August 28, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka on Saturday suspended plans to scrap on-arrival visas for most nationals, including visitors from the US, Europe, Australia and Japan. “In some cases, foreigners of Sri Lankan origin may be detained without their embassies being notified,” the state department said in its travel advisory to US citizens. Sri […]

Aug 27, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings (JKH) group said it had exited from an island further away from the capital of the Indian Ocean archipelago of Maldives, and extended its lease at a more profitable resort. But the Alidhoo island was making losses, and Dhonveli was more profitable the firm said. […]

Aug 27, 2010 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government has decided to withdraw the on-arrival visa facility to tourists from September 30, 2010, a public notice said. The Department of Immigration & Emigration website said on-arrival visas will be given only to visitors from countries that reciprocate. No reason was given for the change and […]

Aug 17, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s LOLC group has bought control of a beach resort on the west coast for 310 million rupees and is in talks with international chains to manage the property, a stock exchange filing said. LOLC said it is holding talks with a “few world-renowned hotel chains” that have shown […]

Aug 16, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s KumbukRiver has been included in a list of the world’s top 20 most unusual hotels, just announced by an international portal dedicated to the unusual and the audacious, a statement said. The list includes Dubai’s landmark Burj al Arab and the Galactic, the first-ever hotel in space, the […]

Aug 13, 2010 (LBO) – Tourist arrivals into Sri Lanka surged by 50 percent in July 2010 to 63,339 from a year ago as post-war optimism and removal of travel advisories encouraged visitors even during the off-season, latest data shows. The increase in the number of visitors was driven largely by more arrivals from Western […]

Aug 10, 2010 (LBO) – Thailand’s Minor International has struck a deal with Sri Lanka’s Hemas group to acquire and upgrade a beach resort for 22 million dollars under the ‘Anantara’ brand. A stock exchange filing said Hemas subsidiary Serendib Hotels has got 19.9 percent and Minor International 80.1 percent of the shares of Cyprea […]

Aug 09, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Sigiriya Village Hotels is planning a rights issue to raise funds to refurbish and renovate its hotel in the island’s north-central region, a stock exchange filing said. The company, which has a stated capital of 175 million rupees, is to issue 2. 1 million ordinary shares priced at […]

Aug 09, 2010 (LBO) – Losses at Sri Lanka’s John Keells Hotels rose in the June 2010 quarter from a year ago but it increased investments in new hotels and upgrading existing ones, a stock exchange filing said. The unit of the John Keells Holdings conglomerate said the net loss for the quarter widened 12 […]

Aug 06, 2010 (LBO) – Maldivian investors are to set up a 150-room tourist resort at Passikudah, in Sri Lanka’s eastern Batticaloa district with an investment of six million US dollars, the investment promotion agency said. The Board of Investment said it gave approval for the venture by Blue Continent to set up the resort […]