Sri Lanka's Mattala Airport Promoted at Travel Trade Show Berlin ITB. Number of Sri Lankan Travel & Tour and Hotel Firms Take Part in the Trade Fair

06th March 2012, www.dailynews.lk, By Shirajiv Sirimane

For the first time the Mattala International Airport would be marketed at the Travel Trade Show Berlin (ITB) as a strong team from the Aviation Authority is attending it. In addition a strong Sri Lankan contingent would be participating at the ITB which will begin tomorrow in Berlin, Germany. Speaking to Daily News Business, Airports and Aviation Services Limited (AASL), Chairman Prasanna Wickramasuriya said “ITB is the world's leading travel trade show and we intend to market passenger, cargo, courier and charter segments of the Mattala International Airport in Germany and other international markets in general through this year's ITB in Berlin.”

Travel and tourism accounts for 258 million jobs globally. At US $ 6 trillion (9.1% of GDP) the sector is a key driver for investment and economic growth and at a global level. It is larger than the automotive industry at 8% GDP, and just smaller than banking at 11%.

Raimund Hosch, CEO Messe Berlin GmbH, will welcome around 4,500 international industry representatives at the opening event.

Among those due to speak are Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Klaus Laepple, President of the German Tourism Industry (BTW).


Mounir Fahkri Abdel Nour, the Egyptian Minister for Tourism, will speak on behalf of Egypt, the partner country of ITB. “Our key challenge in the industry is to stimulate jobs and investment, eliminating barriers to travel such as visa restrictions, taxation, and outmoded infrastructure systems.

I am confident that these issues will be addressed at Europe's premier travel trade fair - ITB Berlin. It is the key place to learn about new trends, market developments, and to deepen existing business relations,” he said.

The following companies would participate in the event:

Airwing Tours, Aitken Spence Travels (Pvt) Ltd, Amaya Leisure PLC, Andrew the Travel Company (Pvt) Limited, Asian Adventures, Asian Exotica Ltd, Asian Wings, Barberyn Ayurveda Resorts, CCC Solutions (Pvt) Limited, Ceylon Tea Trails (Pvt) Ltd, Ceylon Tours Limited, Citrus Leisure PLC, Colombo Fort Hotels Limited, Columbus Tours Pvt Ltd, Connaissance De Ceylan Pvt Ltd, Crystal Holidays (Pvt) Ltd, Eco Team (Pvt) Ltd, Get Into Lanka Travels and Tours (Pvt) Ltd, Goldi Sands Hotels Limited, Hawk Travels Pvt Ltd, Hayleys Tours, Heritage Expediciones (Pvt) Ltd, Hilton Colombo, Hotel Clarion, JF Tours and Travels, Jetwing Hotels Ltd, Jetwing Travels, JourneyScapes (Pvt) Ltd, Koggala Beach Hotel, Lanka Holidays.net, Lanka Sportreizen, Let's Travels (Pvt) Ltd, LOLC Leisure, Mahaweli Reach Hotel, Mandara Hotels and Rosen Tours, Mount Lavinia Hotel / Club Bentota, NKAR Travels and Tours (Pvt) Ltd, Oasis Ayurveda, Orient Tours, Pigeon Island Beach Resort, Ramada Colombo, Serendib Leisure Management Limited, Serene Pavillion (Pvt) Ltd, Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort, Sunway Holidays, Taj Hotels - Sri Lanka, Tangerine Group of Hotels, Tangerine Tours Ltd, Taprospa Spa's and Resort and Mackwood Travels, The Blue Water, The Fortress, Uga Resorts and United Holidays (Pvt) Ltd, and Walkers Tours Limited.


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Colombo International Airport to Receive 6mn Passengers by 2018. New Hambantota International Airport in Southern Sri Lanka to Open for Commercial Flights from November

18th January 2012, www.dailynews.lk, By Shirajiv Sirimane

The Colombo International Airport would be upgraded to cater for six million passengers by 2018. This is a 100 percent increase.

Airport Aviation Services Chairman Col. Prasanna Wickramasuriya said that this includes over one million passengers using the Hambantota International Airport (HJA) as well.

He also said that the HIA construction work is on track and the new airport runway testing would start from October and would be open for commercial flights form November.

“The second stage of the HIA project is to be completed by 2018,” he said.

Wickramasuriya said that initially they would target the charter operation and subsequently attract budget airlines to operate to HIA. “With tourism booming many airlines have requested for additional frequencies and we are planning to divert them to HIA,” he said.

HIA has allocated a large space for a proposed duty free shopping complex for the airport and they expect this would bring in a special ‘shopping’ clientele similar to Singapore.

He also disclosed that investors have expressed interest to set up a publishing zone in Mattala.

SriLankan Airlines will look at rerouting some of their European and Gulf flights through the Hambantota International Airport (HIA) from next November CEO, Kapila Chandrasena said.

He said that their plan is to have a stop over in HIA so that passengers could have the option of disembarking in Mattala while passengers too could take connections to Colombo.

“Similarly we are also looking at operating the Male transit market from the proposed Mattala Airport,” he said.

The national carrier will also handle the ground handling and catering services of the new airport. “The handling rates would be definitely more competitive than the Colombo Airport,” he said.

While spelling out plans to have an extension arm of their engineering wing at HIA he said that they will soon sign up to get a second A330 simulator for pilot training.

SriLankan, which is expected to strengthen their air taxi services with two additional aircraft, is to build an air taxi hub in Bandagirlya Tank in Mattala. This would be a five-minute drive from the HIA and a four-lane highway would connect it to the airport.

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