Category: Tourism

May 25, 2010 (LBO) – Lanka Orix Leasing Company (LOLC) has bought into a hotel group through a 70 percent joint venture it has with another firm, Browns Investments, in two deals valued at over 900 million rupees. LOLC had bought 3.1 million shares or 43.3 percent in Confifi Hotel Holdings at 210 rupees in […]

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25, 2010 (AFP) – Malaysia will relax visa rules for travellers from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in an effort to boost tourism, an official said Tuesday. Malaysia recorded 7.62 million tourist arrivals between January and April this year, up from 7. 34 million in the same period last year. At […]

KILINOCHCHI, May 19, 2010 (AFP) – The wreckage left by a brutal war has created a new tourist trail in Sri Lanka just a year after the Tamil Tiger rebels were crushed by government forces. “I make about 500 rupees (four dollars) a day,” says Kilinochchi native N. Seelan, who sells palmyrah-based sweets to tourists. […]

May 10, 2010 (LBO) – Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka rose 47.0 percent to 38,300 in April 2010 from a year earlier with strong growth in Western European and South Asian generating markets, data from the island’s tourism office showed. Visitors from South Asia were up 53 percent to 10,798. India generated 7,732 tourists, up […]

May 08, 2010 (LBO) – Bangkok-based Minor International is looking to buy or build beach resorts in Sri Lanka, after the island emerged from a 30-year war and prospects for tourism brightened, a media report said. Minor also operates hotels in Thailand under the Marriott and Four Seasons brands and runs Thai franchises for Burger […]

May 03, 2010 (LBO) – Habarana Lodge has signed a deal with the Board of Investment to invest 2. 5 million US dollars to re-furbish and upgrade its hotel in north-central Sri Lanka, the investment promotion agency said. The 140-room Cinnamon Lodge Hotel at Habarana, part of the John Keells group hotel chain, will be […]

Apr 23, 2010 (LBO) – Lighthouse Hotel, a unit of Sri Lanka’s Jetwing leisure group said profits rose 102 percent in the March quarter to 32.2 million rupees amid a pick up in tourism, interim accounts showed. Revenues rose 34 percent to 110. 3 million rupees in the quarter. Sri Lanka’s peak tourism season is […]

Apr 08, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s March 2010 tourist arrivals rose 53.7 percent to 52,352 from a year earlier with more visitors from Western Europe, Middle East and South Asia, tourist promotions office data showed. Arrivals from Western Europe was up 52.3 percent to 69,877, Middle East 106 percent to 7,352, South Asia 53.4 […]

Mar 29, HANOI (LBO) – With a firm foothold in Vietnam, Sri Lanka’s Jetwing leisure group is looking to expand further into fast growing tourism markets in Laos and Cambodia, an official said. Jetwing Indochina Company, a joint venture with a local group which already has leisure interests including Vietnam’s Buffalo Tours, is building a […]

Mar 26, 2010 (LBO) – Once a lucrative foreign exchange provider to Sri Lanka, cruise tourism is seen as bringing back more well-heeled tourists to the island, just as it did before the ethnic war. Sri Lanka is expecting an estimated 21,000 cruise passengers this year with 30 liners having confirm calls, travel trade officials […]

Mar 25, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is building more convention centres amid fears of a shortage of accommodation following a flood of tourists with the end of its war and temporary closure of a big conference hall. Tourist industry officials said they are promoting MICE tourism, as travel abroad for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and […]

March 25, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka lost a “priceless” promotional opportunity by banning the US star Akon from performing at a concert in Colombo following protests from Buddhist monks, the tourism minister said Thursday. The rapper’s concert on April 24 was blocked after monks complained about his “Sexy Bitch” music video featuring women in […]