Category: Tourism

Oct 19, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has seen a 22 percent jump in Indian visitors during a six months promotional campaign across top metro cities India, a local industry group said Thursday. The Sri Lanka – Small Island, Big Trip campaign ran from March to August this year across Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore […]

Oct 18 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is counting on proposed peace talks to salvage the peak winter season, following Wednesday’s terrorist attack in Galle. The winter season starts in November, with the industry expecting occupancy levels in the South to be in the region of a low 55 percent even before the attacks. […]

Oct 13, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s visitor arrivals in September fell 12 percent, but the Tourism Board is hoping discount airfares and peace talks between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels would stem the slide. Holidaymakers to this tear shaped island fell 11.6 percent to 38,485 visitors in September over the corresponding period 2005, […]

Oct 04 (LBO) – Dubai based Emirates will up weekly flights between Colombo and Dubai, ahead of Sri Lanka’s peak winter tourist season in November. The airline currently operates 13 services a week between its home base and Sri Lanka’s capital, now going up to 17 flights a week, the airline said in a statement […]

Sept 20 (LBO) – Tourist and business traffic from Sri Lanka to Thailand is expected to go on as normal following a military coup there, with few inquiries and cancellations, tour operators and airlines said. Thailand is popular among Sri Lankans as a leisure and shopping destination for with business travel contributing. Our operations will […]

SINGAPORE, September 20 (LBO) –Singapore-based luxury resort and spa chain Banyan Tree has shelved plans for Sri Lanka, as the leisure industry takes a beating amidst an upsurge in violence. The luxury leisure operator recently opened a spa at Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo, besides a managing the Deer Park Hotel in Giritale under its […]

Sept 15 (LBO) – Arrivals to Sri Lanka from some European tourist markets saw another month of declines in August, but tour operators say possible peace talks this year could change that by winter. European travellers have been cautiously holding off on visiting the troubled island in the past few months, with top markets like […]

Sept 06 (LBO) – Diversified Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings is in early talks to buy into the Confifi Hotel group, a top official said. As part of our business strategy we look at various opportunities when they arise.In that context we have looked at this possibility of buying into the Confifi Group as […]

Sept 05 (LBO) – Serendib Hotels said Tuesday it would go in for a private placement to sell a 19.90 percent stake in the company to Minor International Public Company Limited, a large Thai resort operator. The company, which owns a chain of three hotels Hotel Serendib, Club Hotel Dolphin and Sigiriya Hotel, plans to […]

August 29, 2006 (LBO) – Aitken Spence Hotels Holdings together with an Indian partner plans to raise up to ten million dollars in India, to fund its hotel expansion into Kerala. The company has tied up a 50:50 joint venture deal with Floatels India Limited, to buy up a 15 acre plot of land on […]

August 22, 2006 (LBO) – Four global conferences to be hosted by Sri Lanka later this year have been cancelled on security fears, though the island is confident it can woo at least half a million tourists by December. The events, including a textile conference, were to host at least a thousand people, Prathap Ramanujam, […]

August 15 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has seen some cancellations from Europe for this year’s peak winter season following an outbreak in local violence, top industry officials said. Some cancellation of bookings have been reported for this November-December season, though others are withholding reservations and adopting a wait-and-see, Prathap Ramanujam, Secretary to the […]