Sri Lanka Tourism Sector

[Amal]

Sri Lanka boosts its golf tourism

Times News Service

September 20, 2012

Muscat: The Sri Lankan government is offering a picturesque golf course to attract big-spending tourists to the island nation.

"We have one of the most beautiful golf courses in Asia and every golfing family in Oman knows about us. But we want people coming to Colombo to explore them,-� said Lakshman Weerasooriya, Country Manager of SriLankan Airlines-Oman.

Though the numbers are not that big, golf aficionados have started trickling in from Oman, and eight golfers from Muscat have already confirmed their presence on the greens of Royal Colombo Golf Club.

The SriLankan Airlines Golf Classic, the signature corporate sports event of the national carrier, will return to its calendar of events this year.

The three-day tour is schedule to start from October 17 at the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC). "This year we have decided to invite guests and players so that they can discover the place, suggest ideas and join us in developing the beautiful city in Sri Lanka as a golfing destination,-� Weerasooriya noted.

RCGC, an 18-hole golf course, was bestowed with the prefix, 'Royal' by King George V in the 1920s. It is the oldest golf club in Sri Lanka, and the second oldest Royal Golf Club outside the United Kingdom.

FULL STORY: http://www.timesofoman.com/echoice.aspx?detail=12590

[Amal]

Sri Lanka retains title as best value long haul destination

Tuesday, 2 October 2012 11:22 AM

A significant increase in the value of sterling against the rupee has kept Sri Lanka at the number one spot for value for the third consecutive year in Post Office Travel Money’s 2012 Long Haul Holiday Report.

At £43.85 for a ‘basket’ of 12 typical tourist items including a three-course meal for two with wine, Sri Lanka remains the outright winner in Post Office Travel Money’s fifth annual Long Haul Holiday Costs Barometer.

http://www.travelbite.co.uk/travel-n...ul-destination

[saraprobe]

Lonely Planet's top 10 cities to visit in 2013

1. San Francisco, US
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands
3. Hyderabad, India
4. Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland
5. Beijing, China
6. Christchurch, New Zealand
7. Hobart, Australia
8. Montreal, Canada
9. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
10. Puerto Iguazu, Argentina

Top 10 countries to visit in 2013

1. Sri Lanka
2. Montenegro
3. South Korea
4. Ecuador
5. Slovakia
6. Solomon Islands
7. Iceland
8. Turkey
9. Dominican Republic
10. Madagascar


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/worlds-...#ixzz2A1wTGUm6

[Amal]

Where to go in 2013

Made your holiday plans for next year yet? In these exclusive extracts from Lonely Planet's new 'Best in Travel' we reveal 10 destinations that should be on your wish list

TOM HALL LONELY PLANET SUNDAY 21 OCTOBER 2012



Where to go in 2013: Sri Lanka

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/...a-8219292.html

[Amal]

Sri Lanka tourist arrivals up 18-pct in September

Oct 24, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals rose 18.1 percent to 71,111 in September 2012 from a year earlier, with arrivals during the nine months up 16 percent to 693,772 data from the Indian Ocean island's tourist promotion office showed.

Arrivals from Western Europe rose 15.1 percent to 22,327 with German arrivals surging 46 percent to 4,942 and top generating market Britain rising 9.1 percent after showing disappointing performance so far this year.

In the first ten months of the year UK arrivals were only up 3.5 percent to 81,762. Arrivals from France rose 6.4 percent to 3,030 but Netherlands another key market fell 3.3 percent to 1,456.

North American arrivals rose 29.9 percent to 3,358 in September with Canada rising 23.7 percent to 1,490 and USA rising 35.3 percent to 1,868.

Eastern European arrivals rose 89.1 percent to 4,673 while Russian arrivals rising 48.2 percent to 1,709 and visitors from Ukraine surging 171 percent to 1,599.

Arrivals from the Middle East fell 13 percent to 4,166.
East Asian visitors rose 21.4 percent to 10,729 with Chinese arrivals surging 66.5 percent to 2,675 and Malaysia rising 44.4 percent to 1,596. Singapore fell 14.6 percent to 1,082. Taiwan generated 1,542 visitors up 93.5 percent.

Indian arrivals grew only 4.2 percent to 13,888. Up to September total arrivals rose a bare 1.3 percent to 122,120.

India became Sri Lanka's top market with high growth after Sri Lanka was declared visa free for Indian nationals. Visas were re-imposed to India and several other countries this year amid rising nationalism in the country.

The electronic authorization process however is not that onerous. India's currency has also depreciated making it more expensive for its citizens to travel outside.

Arrivals from the tiny atoll nation of Maldives rose 5.8 percent to 3,701. Up to September the market grew 10.1 percent to 30,938.

Sri Lanka welcomed 855,975 tourists in 2011 and has a target of 950,000 tourist arrivals this year with official expecting arrivals to top a million visitors.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/f...?nid=550695694

[erathal]

by Ravindran Raman Kutty

MEETINGS and work brought me to Sri Lanka last week. Colombo was a pleasant surprise for me, as I was thinking weapon wielding army officers will be welcoming me. I was wrong. Colombo airport was small but cute and clean. The immigration officers were the most courteous immigration officers that I have ever encountered. Both air and ground airline staffs were kind, humane and courteous.

It was even more enjoyable when I took a quick dash to Kandy, wanting to visit the highlands of Nuwara Eliya. The Queen’s Hotel which, I spent a night was squeaky clean, though it was an old Viceroy’s palace aging more than 100 years old. The lacquered shiny floors were immaculate with the colonial Dutch design making a permanent impression on the guests. The service by the front office was exemplary and extremely hospitable.

It was a journey back to history, where I was fortunate to revisit the epic Ramayana. I visited the Hanuman Temple at Ramboda where Hanuman was searching for Sitadevi, Chinmaya mission of Sri Lanka has built a temple. The image of Lord Hanuman here is 16 feet. I also visited Sita Eliya, where Sita was kept abode by Ravana, the king of Lanka. The exact spot where, Sita was kept abode is now marked with the idol of Sita flanked by Rama and Lakshamana. The epic Ramayana was related in a very simple yet effective way by the caretaker of the temple. He made it a point to point to the Footprints of Lord Hanuman which were so obvious, as they were now painted with a coat of yellow paint. He also pointed to the river in which Sita was bathing. The hill just along the river is what Lord Hanuman burnt in his escapade to rescue Sita from Ravana. The Ramayana was certainly exciting to read, but to view the exact spots at the Nuwara Eliya was awesome and was very exciting. The cool breeze, the foggy low lying clouds, the scenic tea plantations were all breath-taking.

As a tea freak, I made a point to visit a tea plantation on the hills. I ordered my tea with a luscious chocolate cake, which was a magical combination for the cold and freezing weather at the hills. I managed to drink three cups of the “Mackwoods” tea and was almost feeling “one too many” after the third cup. The satisfaction that I derived was unexplainable, as the cup had no drops to prove.

The drive down the hills was picturesque all the way. Beetroots, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, reddish, cabbage, cauliflowers were the main items in every stall, bidding good bye or inviting one to stop to buy. The weather was so cold that we did not use air-condition, on our Toyota Hybrid which was our rented car.

The scene maybe quite similar to Cameron Highlands, but the ambience, hospitality, warmth and honest people of Sri Lanka must be mentioned and applauded. We have to learn much from the Sri Lankan who were besieged by war for more than 30 years. The country may have lost many thousands of lives and several politicians including some prime ministers. Their quest to return to normalcy is very evident. Colombo, Kandy is the two places that I visited.

They were immaculate and clean. The roads were clean and overall appearance of the city may look like some parts of India, but it’s pleasant, safe and clean. The roads are wide and the ride to the Highlands has better roads than our Cameron Highlands. We must learn about hospitality and humility from the Sri Lankans who are extremely pleasant and caring.

My visit to the Pettah market was even shocking. It was an exact scene of Calcutta in terms of traffic. But the roads were clean. The walkways were spotless. The safety level was undeniably great. I even visited a toilet in the Pettah Cross Street and was shocked to see, a clean toilet, with running water and a functioning cistern pump. The doors latch was still secure and there was no stench or stain for anyone to puke or close your nose. I am certainly impressed by the condition of the toilet, even if I want to compare with our Taman Tun Dr Ismail market’s toilets.

Malaysia we are more modern. We have the twin towers. We have the largest highways. We may have the longest bridge. Our FDI and GNI are worlds apart to Sri Lanka. We have fantastic public infrastructures to pride on, but Sri Lanka has one thing…their roads are clean, their markets are clean, the people are emphatic, they are courteous and they are in a hurry to recover the 30 lost years of development. I hope we can learn these simple traits from Sri Lanka and become a greater nation by afar!

Manila Times

[Amal]

Sri Lanka Listed Among Top Five Emerging Destinations

COLOMBO, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- Post-war Sri Lanka has been listed among the five new emerging travel powerhouses by the World Travel Market's industry report, a statement from the country's Tourism Development Authority said here on Monday.

The other counties listed are Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia and Argentina, China's Xinhua news agency said citing the report.

The Tourism Development Authority said the three key factors highlighted for Sri Lanka were re-emerging after the civil war; investing in infrastructure; and beauty of destination.

The industry report was launched at World Travel Mart in London last week. It highlights world travel trends and insights, with emphasis on the UK market and is referred to by many professionals in the industry world over, in making their strategic plans for the forthcoming year.

"It is important that Sri Lankan hoteliers take note of these findings and strategically develop and position their product and service offerings accordingly, in relation to the competition, to capitalise on these trends," tourism industry expert Srilal Miththapala said.

Around 53 tourism and hoteliers including eight small and medium enterprises participated at this year's World Travel Mart (WTM). They worked to position Sri Lanka as an ideal honeymoon destination.

Sri Lanka's tourism sector has been booming since the end of a three decade war in 2009.

The Sri Lankan government has targeted one million arrivals for 2012 and revenue of US$1 billion from foreign direct investment.<br />

By 2016 they hope to reach 2.5 million arrivals despite industry experts warning of massive infrastructure upgrades to meet this target.

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v6/ne....php?id=708755

[Amal]

Sri Lanka tourist arrivals up by 15.5 percent in October

Sat, Nov 17, 2012, 11:53 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Nov 17, Colombo: Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals rose 15.5 percent in October this year compared to the same period last year, the data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed.

The month recorded 80,379 tourists arriving in the country compared to the 69,563 arrived in October 2011.

Arrivals during the first ten months of the year increased 16 percent to 774,151 from the 667,569 arrived in the same period last year.

Arrivals from North America rose 50.3 percent to 4,226 in October with Canada rising 22.9 percent to 2,332 and USA rising 19.1 percent to 1,894. For the first nine months of 2012, North American arrival rose by 21.0 percent to 46,963.

Tourist arrivals from Western Europe reached 293,472 during the first ten months of 2012, a 17.0 percent increase from the 250,847 tourists arrived in the same period of last year. However, arrivals for October increased only 1.9 percent from 23,857 in 2011 to 24,303 this year.

Arrivals from Eastern Europe increased 51.6 percent from January through October 2012 with the arrival of 50,087 tourists.

Tourist arrivals from Middle East declined 1.3 percent from 44,522 to 43,945 during the first ten months.

Arrivals from South Asia for this year increased moderately. In the first ten months 193,465 South Asians visited Sri Lanka, a 3.1 percent increase from the same period in previous year. Of the 23,538 arrived in October 2012, a majority, 17,654 were from India.

Sri Lanka targets one million tourist arrivals this year. SLTDA statistics have recorded 855,975 tourist arrivals in 2011 compared to the 654,476 arrived in 2010.

Since the end of the war against the Tamil Tiger terrorists in May 2009, the country has seen increasing tourist arrivals every month for the past three years.

http://www.colombopage.com/archive_1...53176597CH.php

[Amal]

Sri Lanka Kalkudah Bay gets boutique villas

Nov 20, 2012 (LBO) - A 500 million rupee a 30 villa boutique hotel with French investment will be built in Kalkudah Bay, in Sri Lanka's eastern coast, the state investment promotion agency said.

Sri Lanka's Board of Investment said 12 luxury bungalows comprising the Karpaha Kalkudah resort will be built among 300 coconut, kohomba and palmyra trees. Karpaha is a reference to the palmyra tree.

The property will have a private plunge pool and will face 280 metres of beach frontage with a fringe of coconut trees giving privacy.

Sri Lanka's east was a war zone until a 30-year war ended in 2009. The BOI said there was investments from France but did not give details.

"It reflects the peaceful situation in the country as well as the growing confidence on the part of the investor community to start hotel projects close to the former conflict areas," the BOI said in a statement.

"Tourism is one of the key economic sectors that Sri Lanka is targeting, since it provides many opportunities for investor in hotels and other tourism related activities."

Styled as a boutique hotel, the property is expected to open for business in July 2014.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/f...?nid=158035185

[Amal]

Sri Lanka named British Airways’ top destination for 2013

Wednesday, 12 December 2012 10:18 AM

The tropical island in the Indian Ocean was described in the list of the top 13 destinations to visit in 2013 as having ‘a real buzz about it’ thanks to its endless beaches, elephant treks and UNESCO world heritage sites.

In second place was Rio de Janeiro, Brazil which is currently gearing up to host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016. The judging panel praised its sun-kissed beaches and exciting nightlife, declaring Rio ‘one of the most vibrant cities in the world’.

Also making up the top five were; home of Gangnam style, Seoul in South Korea; newly inaugurated EU nation Croatia; and Vietnam – dubbed ‘the new Thailand’.

The list suggests it’s going to be a strong year for tourism in the Far East, with Asia dominating the list of upcoming travel hot spots.

Richard Tams, British Airways head of UK & I sales, said: “Undoubtedly consumers will continue to be driven by value-for-money next year, with routes such as Dubai, Cape Town and Bangkok already proving popular. We’re also experiencing a real growth in Asia right now and responding to demand with a number of new routes, including Seoul and Sri Lanka.”

The USA also emerged as a popular destination for next year, with Las Vegas and San Diego placing eighth and tenth respectively.

Meanwhile other sun spots for next year include Cape Town in South Africa (11th), Alicante in Spain (12th) and Dubai (13th).

The list was compiled by a panel of experts using company data.

http://www.iwantsun.co.uk/active-sun...ation-for-2013

[Amal]

Tourism Industry achieves its targets.

Details Published on Thursday, 13 December 2012 17:41

Sri Lanka is on the verge of achieving the tourist arrival of one million set for this year. It is expected to achieve this target within the next two days.

http://www.news.lk/news/sri-lanka/39...es-its-targets

[zookoovsky]

Hi all!
My friend is a geography teacher in polish secondary school. He and his 5 pupils will take a journey around Sri Lanka in February (all three long weeks). And because he need help with kids (14-16 years old) we (I+my wife and 2 other friends) are going with him .
Because we are 30 y.o. backpackers without lot of money, we do not want to stay in expensive hotels, rent exclusive cars etc. We are interested in visiting local monuments, eating local food and riding on elephants. Laying on a beach is of cours in our plan too.
Do you have any advices for such big group? What should we visit, where to sleep? What are the biggest threats in your contry for tourists like we?
We'll be grateful for any help!

[oscar_81]

Originally Posted by zookoovsky

Hi all!
My friend is a geography teacher in polish secondary school. He and his 5 pupils will take a journey around Sri Lanka in February (all three long weeks). And because he need help with kids (14-16 years old) we (I+my wife and 2 other friends) are going with him .
Because we are 30 y.o. backpackers without lot of money, we do not want to stay in expensive hotels, rent exclusive cars etc. We are interested in visiting local monuments, eating local food and riding on elephants. Laying on a beach is of cours in our plan too.
Do you have any advices for such big group? What should we visit, where to sleep? What are the biggest threats in your contry for tourists like we?
We'll be grateful for any help!

Thanks for visiting Sri Lanka. I'm not sure whether you've seen the site http://srilanka.travel/
It is the official website for tourists coming to SL. Hope it will be helpful for your choices.
To stay low cost, my suggestion is to do home stay/lodges as much as possible. Before reserve check whether those home stay places are tourist board approved(http://www.srilankanhomestay.com/). In there you'd enjoy good Sri Lankan food and hospitality.
For transportation, use public trains/buses/tuk-tuks to ride cheap.
Where to visit? Well, there are a lot of great places to visit in SL. Check the above website for lots of info under various themes such as beaches, mountains, culture, wild life etc.
Quite frankly the biggest threat I see in Sri Lanka is reckless drivers. So always be extra cautious when walking on the road or traveling by tuk-tuks.
Hope you all would have an unforgettable and fabulous stay in this paradise island.

[jimpappa]

Originally Posted by zookoovsky

Hi all!
My friend is a geography teacher in polish secondary school. He and his 5 pupils will take a journey around Sri Lanka in February (all three long weeks). And because he need help with kids (14-16 years old) we (I+my wife and 2 other friends) are going with him .
Because we are 30 y.o. backpackers without lot of money, we do not want to stay in expensive hotels, rent exclusive cars etc. We are interested in visiting local monuments, eating local food and riding on elephants. Laying on a beach is of cours in our plan too.
Do you have any advices for such big group? What should we visit, where to sleep? What are the biggest threats in your contry for tourists like we?
We'll be grateful for any help!

Please visit the sri lanka forum of tripadvisor.
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowForum-...Sri_Lanka.html

[Amal]

Sri Lanka tourist arrivals up 20-pct in Nov

Dec 19, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals rose 20.1 percent to 109,202 in November from a year earlier with arrivals up to November up 16 percent to 883,353 data from the state tourist promotion office showed.

Arrivals from Western Europe rose 17.2 percent to 35,892 in November with the total in the 11 months also up 17.0 percent to 329,364.

Visitors from UK rose 12.9 percent to 10,828 in November from a year earlier. Arrivals from Germany rose 16.6 percent to 8,161, from France up 16.3 percent to 5,441, from the Netherlands up 10.6 percent to 2,310 and Italy up 2.1 percent to 1,289.

Visitors from Eastern Europe rose 23.1 percent to 12,406 in November with arrival in the first 11 months up 45.5 percent to 62,493.

Middle Eastern visitors were down 22.4 percent to 6,151.

East Asian visitors rose 64 percent to 14,994 helped gains in visitors from China (up 164 percent to 3,353), Japan (up 56.2 percent to 3,184) Malaysia (up 33.2 percent to 2,158) and Singapore (up 14.4 percent to 1,713).

Tourists from South Asia rose 9.6 percent to 26,649 helped by a recovery of the Indian market which has been hit this year after a tightening of immigration controls amid a rise in nationalism and militarization of the island.
The Indian rupee has also weakened over the past year.

Arrivals up to November from South Asia rose 3.9 percent to 220,114.

Indian visitors rose 13.9 percent to 17,625 with arrivals up to November rising 3.9 percent to 220,114.

Sri Lanka's tourist promotion office said on December 18, the 950,000 visitor, marking the annual target had arrived in the island from Poland.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/f...nid=1686193465

[Amal]

Sri Lanka reaches annual target with Polish tourist

Dec 18, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka has reached an annual target of 950,000 for 2012 with the arrival of Agata Dziekn from Poland on December 18, the state tourism promotion office said.

Dziekn, a graphic designer was welcomed by top tourist officials. She and her partner will get to travel to Sri Lanka free next year.
"After seeing the beauty of Sri Lanka via internet I decided to visit here to spend the holiday," she was quoted as saying in a statement.

I’m very happy to be the 950,000th tourist to visit Sri Lanka this year. I am really surprised by your warm welcome and the gifts.

"Next year, I am planning to visit again to spend a magnificent holiday with my friends. Things like this really do help in promoting tourism in a country."

In November 2012 arrivals rose 20 percent from a year earlier to 109,202, the tourism office said.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/f...?nid=991061805

[oscar_81]

Originally Posted by Amal

Sri Lanka reaches annual target with Polish tourist

Dec 18, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka has reached an annual target of 950,000 for 2012 with the arrival of Agata Dziekn from Poland on December 18, the state tourism promotion office said.

Dziekn, a graphic designer was welcomed by top tourist officials. She and her partner will get to travel to Sri Lanka free next year.
"After seeing the beauty of Sri Lanka via internet I decided to visit here to spend the holiday," she was quoted as saying in a statement.

I’m very happy to be the 950,000th tourist to visit Sri Lanka this year. I am really surprised by your warm welcome and the gifts.

"Next year, I am planning to visit again to spend a magnificent holiday with my friends. Things like this really do help in promoting tourism in a country."

In November 2012 arrivals rose 20 percent from a year earlier to 109,202, the tourism office said.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/f...?nid=991061805

Didnt they target 1M tourists by 2012?

[Shakeel]

The most tourist arrivals are from neighboring Maldives as its clearly visible at the hospitals n supermarkets. Further alot of Lankan expatriates on holidays home. The stats are misleading. The process of data collecting is out of date and needs to be monitored at the right juncture.

[bangalore]

Originally Posted by Shakeel

The most tourist arrivals are from neighboring Maldives as its clearly visible at the hospitals n supermarkets. Further alot of Lankan expatriates on holidays home. The stats are misleading. The process of data collecting is out of date and needs to be monitored at the right juncture.

Most tourist arrivals are from India - according to published data.

[Popthepuff]

Originally Posted by Amal

Sri Lanka reaches annual target with Polish tourist

Dec 18, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka has reached an annual target of 950,000 for 2012 with the arrival of Agata Dziekn from Poland on December 18, the state tourism promotion office said.

Dziekn, a graphic designer was welcomed by top tourist officials. She and her partner will get to travel to Sri Lanka free next year.
"After seeing the beauty of Sri Lanka via internet I decided to visit here to spend the holiday," she was quoted as saying in a statement.

I’m very happy to be the 950,000th tourist to visit Sri Lanka this year. I am really surprised by your warm welcome and the gifts.

"Next year, I am planning to visit again to spend a magnificent holiday with my friends. Things like this really do help in promoting tourism in a country."

In November 2012 arrivals rose 20 percent from a year earlier to 109,202, the tourism office said.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/f...?nid=991061805

Maybe we can reach a milliiiooon! XD