Category: Tourism

March 06, 2007 (LBO) – Visitors from Pakistan and India helped boost Sri Lanka’s tourist numbers in January while shy western Europeans continued to disappoint the war-torn Indian Ocean island. In January 56,000 tourists came to the island up 8.5 percent over the previous year with Pakistani arrivals growing by 171 percent to 2,300 and […]

February 26 (LBO) – Malaysia will celebrate 50 years of independence in August this year and is hoping the revelry, travel deals and discounts will entice more Sri Lankans to visit. Last year the island attracted 559,603 tourists, a small increase on the 549,308 in 2005 and well below tourism ministry expectations of 600,000 tourists. […]

Feb 17, 2007 (LBO) – The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the largest regional group in the world by population, is to kick off a rally to spark interest in member country hotspots and tourist attractions. The rally is to set off in Dhaka in Bangladesh and will take the ground routes through […]

Jan 24 (LBO) – Sri Lankan resort chain Jetwing has tied up with local conglomerate Hayleys and an Indian partner to set up a luxury hotel in Kerala, in the group’s first foray overseas. The new hotel is to be a joint venture with Indian company Kerala Balers holding 51 percent, and the balance equally […]

COLOMBO, Jan 24, 2007 (AFP) – A mass gathering of Islamic pilgrims, who are jamming Sri Lanka’s hotels and shopping malls, has unexpectedly boosted the island’s war-hit tourism sector, officials said Wednesday.Sri Lanka’s 24-billion dollar economy earned 380.3 million dollars from tourism between January and October last year, retaining its place as one of the […]

Jan 24 (LBO) – Ceylon Hotels Corporation, which runs a chain of state owned hotels and rest-houses around the island, is trying to woo more local travellers after earnings took a beating last year. Operating a chain of 19 guesthouses in Sri Lanka, the group was hit by an escalating local conflict and a spate […]

Jan 23, 2007 (LBO) – Serendib Group of Hotels signs agreement with the Minor Group of Thailand to develop and manage properties owned by the Serendib Group with the re-branding of Hotel Serendib, Bentota. Hemas Holdings Ltd is one of Sri Lanka’s top conglomerates with a focus on FMCG, Healthcare, Transportation, Leisure and Strategic Investments. […]

January 11, 2007 (LBO) – Scouting treetops for purple-faced leaf monkeys or on the trail of the shy loris at nightfall, Sri Lanka’s rich primate life could become a draw card for foreign travellers with a taste for the wild. The tiny island off the tip of India is home to at least five species […]

Jan 11, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s leisure industry closed 2006 a neck ahead of the previous year, but the troubled island saw a sharp downturn December, as internal strife intensified and travel advisories kept visitors away. Sri Lanka lured 559,603 visitors last year, a slim 1.9 percent jump over 2005, but fell far short […]

December 20, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s visitor arrivals in November slumped to 22.4 percent, the Tourist Board said Wednesday, prompting fears that the dwindling numbers will spillover to 2007. Sri Lanka welcomed 549,308 visitors in 2005 and the board is hoping to equal the score this year. The island greeted 37,591 holidaymakers in November […]

BEIJING, Dec 14, 2006 (AFP) – China has consolidated its position as the Asia leader in outbound tourism, with 28.6 million Chinese travelling overseas in the first 10 months of the year, state media said Thursday. The number marked an increase of 10.8 percent from the same period last year, the China Daily reported, citing […]

December 2, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka plans to part of its embarkation fee revenue to develop the Kalpitiya Dutch Bay Island into a tourist attraction, the government said Saturday. Cabinet of ministers had agreed to initiate the project across 5,000 acres of land at a cost of 350 million rupees. Tourism Minister Anura Bandaranaike […]