Newly Set up Chamber of Tourism to Improve Sri Lanka's East

02nd August 2010, www.island.lk

"With the dawn of peace in the Eastern Province Tourism is picking up in the region. The number of foreign and local visitors coming to Arugambay, Pasekuda and Nilaveli is increasing daily. Facilities available to the visitors need improvement.

The new opportunities can also be utilized to the development of living standards of the people in the area. After taking in to consideration of the facts the newly established Chamber of Tourism and Industry has formulated a comprehensive set of proposals to be implemented," said A.M.Jaufer Chairman, Chamber of Tourism and Industry.

The document containing proposals was handed over to Sarath Weerasekara, Member of Parliament Digamadulla District and Chairman District Co-ordinating Committee, by Jaufer last week.

"Among the proposals are improving interior roads leading to the beach, electricity and water supply, standardization of hotels in the area, creating awareness among fishing community in the region on the importance of Tourism, a programme to keep the environment clean, developing inland fishing in Inginiyagala Senannayake Samudra,Irakkamam Kulam,Ampara Kulam and Periya kulam Akkaraipattu, Attalachchenai Konawatte river and the lagoons of Pottuvil and Panama, developing religious and historical places in the area as tourist attractions and Mahaoya / Padiyathalawa hot water springs, establishing a mini aerodrome in Panama or Lahugala and improving the Ampara airport runaway enabling to land AN 32 aircrafts, construction of international level sports complex in Arugambay, improvement of fruit and vegetable cultivation to cater to the tourism industry through new technical inputs and reconstructing the Kalmunai rest house effected by the war, to consider constructing a new railway line from Batticaloa to Arugambay," Jaufer said.

The chamber in a statement said that on receiving the proposals Weerasekara said that he has already written to the Chairman Tourist Board requesting him to appoint a committee to recommendations to the ongoing development activities related to Tourism in the Ampara District. He said he would also take up the matter with the minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapakse and international donor agencies in order to implement suitable proposals.

"With the Government targeting 2.5m tourist arrivals by 2016 the requirement of hotel rooms is 30,000.Presently the country has only 14,500 hotel rooms. It is important to meet this target with good quality facilities," the chamber said.