Category: Tourism

July 08, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is once again becoming an attractive destination for cruise ship operators with the end of a 30-year ethnic war, the head of one of the island’s biggest conglomerates said. “Galle will be a very attractive destination to break journey. They would like to have a 3-4 day stop […]

July 03, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka expects to get 600,000 tourists this year with the end of a 30-year war making the island an attractive destination once again, a senior tourism official said. Kalaiselvam said the country has accommodation to cater to only 750,000 tourists a year and that 3,000 more rooms would be […]

June 30, 2010 (LBO) – An Indian company has been given approval by Sri Lanka’s investment promotion agency to launch houseboat tourism services in a lake in the central hills, a statement said. The Board of Investment said SAJ House Boat Builders & Operators signed a deal to provide houseboat services in Nuwara Eliya with […]

June 29, 2010 (LBO) – A sudden influx of tourists in to Sri Lanka after the end of its ethnic war could bring risks such as threats to the island’s environment and cultural values, a senior travel trade official has warned. The trade should also ensure that income from tourism benefits more people, Nilmin Nanayakkara, […]

June 28, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s The Kandy Hotels Company plans to refurbish two hotels in the central hill country town of Kandy which is a major tourist attraction, a stock exchange filing said. Many hotels have started or announced plans for refurbishment and upgrades to cater to the anticipated influx of visitors. It […]

June 25, 2010 Arugam Bay, SRI LANKA (LBO) – Top professional surfers from around the world were at Sri Lanka’s Arugam Bay, a small village in the eastern coast of the island which was limited to an adventurous few until now. “But probably not as good as in Indonesia.” He says right breaking waves breaking […]

June 24, 2010 (LBO) – Ceylon Hotels Corporation, which has properties on prime locations throughout Sri Lanka, has lured a top executive from a big hotel group and plans to upgrade several hotels, a stock exchange filing said. The CHC, part of the Gale Face Hotel group, plans to spend 350-500 million rupees on the […]

June 17, 2010 (LBO) – Serendib Hotels has sold part of its stake in Hotel Sigiriya, both part of Sri Lanka’s Hemas group, in a deal worth 40. 6 million rupees, a stock exchange filing said. Serendib Hotels, whose property is on a prime beach front on the south-west coast and is a major shareholder […]

June 09, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Confifi Hotel Holdings which was taken over by Lanka Orix Leasing Company (LOLC) from former owners the Furkhan family, has appointed a new director board from Wednesday, a stock exchange filing said. LOLC now owns 52 percent of Confifi Hotel Holdings and 25.5 percent of Riverina Hotels. Ishara […]

June 07, 2010 (LBO) – Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka rose 42.3 percent to 35,213 in May 2010 from a year earlier with strong growth in South Asian and Western European markets, data from the island’s tourism office showed. Sri Lanka has seen a revival in tourism after a 30-year war ended on May 18, […]

May 27, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka on Thursday welcomed the lifting of a US warning against travel to the Indian Ocean island, anticipating a boost to tourism and investment a year after a bloody civil war ended. The number of holidaymakers arriving in the four months to April this year rose nearly 50 percent […]

May 26, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Confifi group hotels shares rose 46 percent to 318 rupees Wednesday with buyers expecting a battle for management control after Lanka Orix Leasing Company bought into the group. LOLC bought a 43.3 percent stake in Confifi Hotel Holdings, which in additional to owning a hotel also owns 21.8 […]