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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Sri Lanka Online Visa ETA System Earns Rs 170mn During First 45 Days

16th February 2012, www.dailynews.lk, By Rasika Somaratna

The Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system which came into effect from January 1, 2012 to grant visa via online for foreign nationals visiting Sri Lanka, has produced a record income of over Rs 170 million during the first 45 days. Immigration and Emigration controller Chulananda Perera said that ETA has become very popular with foreigners wishing to visit the country.

“We have received very positive responses from a large number of foreigners about the system. The quick approval process, technology, ease of use and the long list of convenient features have earned the praise of visitors,” Perera said. The new system introduced on January 1 replaced the old system of granting visa on arrival at the port of entry to nationals from 78 countries for short visits. On the basis of reciprocity, citizens of Singapore and Maldives are exempt from the requirement of obtaining ETA to visit Sri Lanka.

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Sri Lanka, One of Top Five Destinations to Visit in 2012 - Condé Nast Traveler, A Leading Travel Mag in Britain

01st January 2012, www.adaderana.lk

A leading travel magazine in Britain “Condé Nast Traveller” has nominated Sri Lanka as one of the top five destinations to watch in year 2012.

The travel experts of the magazine predict that Sri Lanka will be among the hottest new holiday destinations for the travelers in the coming year.

Unvailing the list of destinations the magazine reveals that “One of the great joys of travel is the feeling you’ve discovered somewhere special, somewhere that’s all yours, for the first time - before the developers move in and the crowds descend. It could be a new and unexplored region, like the Arctic Circle, or an entire country that has been off-limits to tourists for political reasons, such as Sri Lanka and Burma.”

Sri Lanka has been placed third in the list of destinations ahead of Britain, Australia, Abu-Dhabi .

Tag-lining Sri Lanka as “The coasts less travelled” the writer remarks that ”Although the north and east coasts are undeveloped, their natural beauty is unspoiled. You can find yourself the only tourist in the traditional villages, and the only person on some of the country’s most beautiful beaches. Indeed, those beaches on the east coast have fine sand and calm, clear waters, unlike the surf destinations on the west. This does, of course, mean top-class accommodation is still limited - but for many, finding charming guesthouses or rustic beach huts is all part of the adventure; and being first to discover a place never loses its thrill.”

Sri Lanka Tourism has recorded the highest ever arrivals to the country in 2011 and targets 2.5 million tourist by year 2016.

CNTraveller.com's Travel Guide to Sri Lanka


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Sri Lanka Lifts Travel Curbs on Foreigners to Island's North

05th July 2011, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka has lifted travel curbs on foreigners to the north of the island where a 30-year war ended in 2009, and foreign passport holders could travel without special approval, the government's information office said.

The government's information office said foreign passport holders would no longer require documents of approval from defence authorities to pass a key checkpoint in the northern town of Vavuniya on the highway to the north.

The information office said at a meeting Saturday businessmen told economic development minister Basil Rajapaksa about the difficulties faced by expatriate relatives of northern residents when they visited.

Tens of thousands of Sri Lankan fled the north and the east of the island during the 30 year war.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka is expected to end 'visa of arrival' facilities to all countries except Maldives and Singapore, which now allow visa free travel for Sri Lankans.

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Cessna Appoints Infotechs for Sri Lanka and Maldives. Introduces Cessna Grand Caravan To Enhance Tourism, cargo & Corporate Travel

15th February 2011, www.dailynews.lk, By Charumini de Silva

Infotechs (Pvt) Limited is planning to improve the aviation industry in Sri Lanka with support to help build many economic activities.

Infotechs (Pvt) Limited Group General Manager Michelle Pinto said the Cessna Grand Caravan C208 aircraft will help to bring in many secondary markets, while enhancing the aviation industry in the country.

The Cessna Aircraft Company, Kansas, USA together with Infotechs the authorised sales representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives made several high profile demonstrations of the Cessna Grand Caravan C208 aircraft at the Ratmalana Airport yesterday.

“It is important to further enhance the mobility while relaxing laws as the domestic aviation industry is picking up. Sri Lanka has the possibility to be one of the elite countries operating cost effective internal air transport. There are many avenues for corporates to start domestic airlines,” Pinto said.

“The support given by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Sri Lanka Air Force is encouraging. Infotechs expects to develop the aviation industry of Sri Lanka with introducing new technology enabled aircraft and bringing in more expertise from other countries.

The Sri Lankan talent we have in the industry is commendable, and there is no need to bring in from overseas,” she said.

“In an island where development is changing its landscape, transforming an idyllic tropical setting to one of the fastest growing countries in the region and a much sort after tourist destination, the arrival of the Grand Caravan augurs well,” she said.

There were many positive responses from the Sri Lankan markets. Company believes the Grand Caravan will revolutionize the tourism industry.

As this aircraft has the ability to land on any terrain including gravel, grass, pavements and even water it has a great advantage of flying to the remote areas as well since infrastructure developments are still in process, she said.

This aircraft will cater to tourism, cargo and corporate travel needs.

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Sri Lanka is a Holidaymaker’s Paradise - Neeta Lal, A Malaysian Travel Writer

22 December 2010, www.news.lk

Sri Lanka is “Clearly, a holiday maker’s paradise”. The Malaysian Travel Writer Neeta Lal says Sri Lanka is perfect for the global traveler, and offers not only five-star accommodations in great locations but also delightful custom-made ‘experiences’.

She says an elephant ride on a star-lit beach, a champagne-soaked dinner under a star-spangled sky, or a river cruise to view one of the world’s most magical garden retreats are products available for tourists in Sri Lanka.

Describing her stay at Vivanta at Taj Resort in Bentota, the writer points out that nothing, it seems, is impossible to organise at the Resort in Bentota, a stunning, ocean-fronted property located on Sri Lanka’s southwest coast, the hotel is situated over a sinuous hill and offers 162 modern rooms with private sit-outs that overlook lush gardens and a glutinous Indian Ocean.

Writing about one of her excursions during her visit, Nita Lal says that the excursion took her to the enchanting 15-acre estate of Lunuganga, an exquisite piece of property that is a tropical rendition of an Italian garden. Fringing Deduwa Lake, and it is one of the world’s most magical garden retreats complete with statues, courtyards and lily ponds that flank secret pathways.

It was followed by a boat safari on the River Madhu, and the boat glided on the shimmering water, coursing through thick mangroves and rich flora and fauna. She also describes viewing the primitive style of fishing and prawn trapping still practised by the island’s inhabitants.

Neeta also praises about facilities available in Sri Lanka including rejuvenating massage and scrub available at Spas, state of the art fitness centres, the delicious food, spice infused curries and stews Sri Lanka is famous for, fine hotels, water sports activities, well connected road network to Colombo, and ayurvedic treatments.

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Sri Lanka's Asian Alliance Brings Online Travel Insurance, Alliance Travel Assist

25th July 2010, www.dailymirror.lk

“Alliance Travel Assist Insurance”, another innovative initiative by Asian Alliance Insurance (AAI) enables insurance to be bought online at the convenience of your home or office. This pioneering effort offers “real time” customer services to AAI’s potential and existing policyholders.

The market feed back coupled with the demand for an augmented product by customers, post introduction of “Alliance Travel Assist”, resulted in an enhanced insurance solution fulfilling the dynamic needs of today’s customers. This extended product is designed subsequent to careful analysis and research of the varied customer needs and market trends. Customers now have a choice of five different covers which cater to a varied range of needs pertaining to foreign travel.

Additionally, “Alliance Travel Assist” is made further distinctive due to the enhanced benefits offered within the five different covers. With this uniquely augmented policy customers now have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits such as; Personal acident cover, Emergency dental cover, Loss of passport, driving license or NIC abroad , Location and forwarding of baggage and personal effect, Advance money, Advance of bail bond and Emergency return home following death of a close family member.

According to Mr. Dilupa Pathirana, Manager - Brand and Channel Development of AAI, “travel insurance is a complicated subject, and most customers are in the habit of purchasing travel insurance just before their journey; outcome being an expensive, not suitable travel insurance policy, and lot of time wasted on the road meeting travel agents, etc. Alliance Travel Assist is a simple yet comprehensive travel insurance solution that can be obtained online at convenience. The objective of introducing this online facility is to eliminate the waste in terms of money, effort and time consumed to buy travel insurance”.

Those who plan to travel abroad can now log on to AAI website, obtain quotation/s, pay premiums and purchase travel insurance policies, print out the policy document, etc. which exclude a visit to the travel agency/company. “Alliance Travel Assist” can also be obtained at leading travel agents.

The Assistant General Manager – Marketing of AAI, Ms. Nadi Dharmasiri added, “we are continuously striving to make the lives of our valued customers easier, and we recognized the need of simplifying the processes of obtaining travel insurance policies, thus we tried the easiest manner and succeeded. While our traditional channels of obtaining travel insurance polices are still operating, this is yet another endeavor to enhance the convenience of obtaining travel insurance.

Alliance Travel Assist – the travel insurance policy introduced by Asian Alliance Insurance, provides its customers peace of mind while they are away from home on business or leisure. The insurance cover is operative 24 hours of the day protecting the policy holder from many unforeseen and unfortunate events such as sudden illness or injuries, loss of baggage etc. from the time they leave home and until they return. For more information on Alliance Travel Assist you could visit the AAI Website, www.asianalliance.lk.

Sri Lanka's Other Half - A Guide to the Central, Eastern and Northern Provinces. A Travel Guide on Sri Lanka by Juliet Coombe and Daisy Perry

04th March 2010, www.dailymirror.lk

OK, so when it comes to travel these days everyone's been everywhere and seen everything, right? Wrong. Pick up a copy of Sri Lanka's Other Half, a ground-breaking guidebook published recently, and you'll be catapulted into a whole new world of adventure.

Discovering psychedelic kovils (Hindu temples) that cling precariously to rugged cliffs, ancient jungle ruins, pristine rainforests, the largest elephant gathering in the world and huge freshwater mangrove lagoons, this book reveals the other half of Sri Lanka, truly one of the most exciting new places to be in Asia right now.

Powerful photographs of the people that make each of the places so unforgettable and unique, bring the book to life, and as soon as you open it, you'll find yourself drawn into an exhilarating trip through fascinating areas that almost no traveller has seen for 30 years because of Sri Lanka's bitter civil war with the Tamil Tigers.

Get immersed in this book and you'll instantly want to jump onto the back of a motorbike or into a car, van, bus, train or three-wheeler and head north!

But this is not your usual guidebook, simply telling you where to go and what to see. As every traveller knows, it's not just about the places, but about the people you meet along the way. Inspirational interviews with local people give an insight into what the major attractions mean from a local perspective.

Enjoy reading the exciting highlights, whether it's about a beach hut miles from anywhere, where just off shore, up to a thousand spinner dolphins fly through the air or in places like Batticaloa how fish will sing to you through the night. The book's double-page guide sections will reveal not only how to get to these secret spots, but also help you find quirky places to eat and incredible sites to visit, from hot healing springs to the islands off Jaffna.

Travel photojournalist Juliet Coombe and Daisy Perry co-writer from bestselling guidebook ‘Around The Fort in 80’ lives set off on their epic road journey to record their experiences as the first tourists and guidebook writers into these extraordinary and until recently, undocumented parts of the country. On roads less travelled, they competed in Trincomalee market with herds of spotted deer, found alien-sized jellyfish in Batticaloa, original Jaffna horse carvers in their traditional workshops in Jaffna, and even artists cashing in on the war by hand painting on bullets. Starting their trip in the centre of Sri Lanka at the temple complex of Nalanda Gedige, they met an archaeologist and tried a banquet of traditional Sri Lankan rice and curry in a natural forest setting.

Juliet and Daisy headed to the east coast, meeting characters that confirm that life in Sri Lanka is never dull, from Meera Mohideen an intrepid fisherman in Batticaloa to Charith Senanayake whose mission is to preserve the traditionally fished mangroves. The east coast has always had an alluring reputation for calm turquoise seas and beaches with boat trips to uninhabited islands and for the twitchier, there's plenty of bird life.

To prove this guidebook is for everyone and not just the extreme backpacker - Juliet and her second son, six week old Amzar, flew north into former Tiger Land in an old war plane to discover Sri Lanka's northern most city Jaffna.

The north-east is famous for its stoic Portuguese-Dutch fortresses, coffee, fat Havana-like cigars, classic vintage cars, and the seven islands - the crown jewels to Sri Lanka. To get to this compulsively fascinating northern province hire a van or a boat or take the 15 hour bus ride from Colombo Central Bus station to Jaffna. This is an incredible journey through giant salt pans and the controversial Elephant Pass, a 1km long causeway revealing war ruins, lush lagoons and towns that are jumble of crumbling colonial buildings. At the end of this bone- crunching bus journey, enjoy a few hours in Jaffna's magnificent public library - with over 100,000 books to pick from.

As a well-travelled BBC Lonely Planet photojournalist who's been to 143 countries to total, Juliet was totally amazed by this region of Sri Lanka. She says ‘In my opinion, it's one of the most exciting and inspirational places to be right now in Asia. Adding

‘We really hope our book will lead to a revival of the north and east as traveller's destinations.’

SriLankan to Fly in More Tourists, Maldives, Oman, Middle Eastern and European Destinations to be Served More

20th November 2009, www.news.lk

The national carrier SriLankan, which will initially operate four flights per week has obtained a fifth freedom traffic right between Colombo and Maldives from January 2010. It will then progress to daily flights from the summer of 2010, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau sources said.

It will open up new opportunities for people traveling between Muscat and Colombo, and also Middle Eastern and European destinations as well as being a winner with both business and leisure customers.

Oman Air first commenced operations in Sri Lanka in 1991 and decided to stop operations to Colombo in 2003 quoting the low yield, generated from this market.

Sri Lanka is famous for its hospitality and plethora of holiday destinations and has always been a popular choice for holiday tourists.

Holidays in Sri Lanka will give Oman Air customers the chance to experience the charm of this tiny island in the Indian Ocean amidst its scenic beauty, old world charm and laid back atmosphere.