Elephant Reach Plans Three more Hotels to Promoting Agro, Spiritual & Eco Tourism in the Face of Increasing Demand

20th April 2011, www.dailynews.lk, By Indunil Hewage

Elephant Reach Hotel, which is a subsidiary of Lanka Hotels and Travels (Pvt) Ltd is looking forward to expand its presence locally by adding three more major tourists hotels in the years to come.

Elephant Reach will add another 21 rooms while upgrading the existing 35 rooms. In addition Elephant Reach will construct a spa and a museum for elephants with Rs 100 million worth of estimated investment.

Speaking to Daily News Business Lanka Hotels and Travels Operations Director Malinga Fernando said Elephant Reach will be promoting agro, spiritual and eco tourism in a dynamic manner in the face of increasing demand from local and foreign travellers for these areas. "It is sad to note that the world has identified Sri Lanka a low budget destination.

"This is a very damaging for the future of the tourism industry," he said.

"There are ample opportunities to promote spiritual tourism in Sri Lanka with tourists' keenness and inquisitiveness for Buddhist philosophy. In addition, we find it difficult to promote and expand the tourism industry in the Northern and Eastern parts of the country due to lack of transport facilities and it is the duty of responsible authorities to look at the civil aviation sector seriously to promote the tourism industry," Fernando said.

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• Sri Lankan Beaches Can Attract a Large Number of Tourists. Elephant Reach Hotel near Yala National Park to Expand

Sri Lankan Beaches Can Attract a Large Number of Tourists. Elephant Reach Hotel near Yala National Park to Expand

07th December 2010, www.dailynews.lk, By Harshini Perera

Sri Lanka is an all inclusive tourist attraction which can be promoted by individual companies with Government assistance.

"Sri Lankan beaches are popular among Indian surfers and India will be a country that can attract a large number of tourists to the country," Elephant Reach Hotel Yala Director Malinga Fernando told Daily News Business.

"Sri Lanka is known as a budget destination among many tourists and we have to come out of that mentality. The tourism and leisure sector is connected with airlines, hotel chains and guides. Therefore, these sectors should be connected and given support by the Government," he said.

Elephant Reach has acquired a land and will expand the hotel to 50 rooms from 35 rooms with an investment of Rs 45 million.

In addition, a Spa will be set up from April next year as a tourist attraction. It has also acquired a 50 acre land close to Yala and will invest Rs 25 to 30 million on luxury camping and cottages for tourists in the future.

"The average stay of a tourist is limited to one or two days outside the Yala National Park and we need to increase their staying if we need to promote tourism in the area.

We expect to promote agro tourism to which the areas will be ideal," he said. There are many tourists coming from countries such as United Kingdom, Germany and Russia for safari tours.

"We had an 80 percent occupancy rate for this year," Fernando said.