Warm Welcome to CP Delegation in Jaffna

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Published on Thursday, 13 September 2012 15:59

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Parliamentarians who are presently in the island attending the 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in Colombo arrived in Jaffna for a visit today in a special flight.

The delegation received warm welcome at the Palaly airport on their arrival today morning. Mr. Douglas Devananda,Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Development , Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe ,Commander Security Forces - Jaffna (SF-J) and  Mr. S. Arumainayagam,Government Agent Jaffna were present at the airport to welcome the Commonwealth Parliamentarians.

Later, the delegation set off to get first hand experience on the progress of government-augmented development work and to see housing projects and resettlement areas in Jaffna.

They will also visit Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu areas.

MasterCard and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Collaborate to Boost Cross-Border Tourism

Targeted News Service

COLOMBO, Sept. 14 -- MasterCard issued the following news release:

MasterCard cardholders traveling to Sri Lanka will soon have even more reasons to enjoy their stay. MasterCard Worldwide (http://www.mastercard.com.cn/) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) have signed an agreement to facilitate the development of cross border tourism, with a specific focus on attracting India's tourists. The five-year agreement aims to promote Sri Lanka as a premier tourist destination for Indian travelers and deliver great travel experiences for MasterCard and Maestro cardholders through special offers and benefits.

Today's agreement comes on the heels of recent positive growth for Sri Lanka's tourism industry as well as the country's ambitious strategy to reach 2.5 million visitors by 2016. International tourism arrivals in Sri Lanka hit a record of 856,000 in 2011 with a growth rate of 30.79% over 2010 which itself was a phenomenal increase in growth rate of 46.12% over 2009.*

Mr. Rumy Jauffer, Managing Director, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau was instrumental in conceptualizing the association and was the driving force in bringing together the various stakeholders to form this association. As per a report published by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority in 2011, India is the largest source of tourists into Sri Lanka contributing to 20.84% of the total tourists visiting the country. *

Mr. T. V. Seshadri (http://newsroom.mastercard.com/people/t-v-seshadri/), Division President, South Asia, MasterCard Worldwide, said, "This alliance underscores our optimism regarding the potential of Sri Lanka's tourism industry, as well as our commitment to developing and promoting cross border tourism between India and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is rich in culture and heritage and an attractive destination for both leisure and business travelers. We're excited to be able to deliver even greater travel experiences to MasterCard cardholders in this incredible country through our work with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau."

The agreement will see MasterCard and SLTPB jointly exploring and implementing activities targeted at the tourism market in Sri Lanka. This complements MasterCard's ongoing objective to promote overseas tourism and adds to its list of ongoing initiatives such as Priceless Cities and the Great Singapore Sale.

MasterCard will actively popularize the program in India to high-potential travelers through various initiatives including digital and other media. The company will leverage its merchant and other partnerships in India, such as online travel agents, airlines and hotels in order to ensure communication of these benefits to the appropriate target audience. The program will also be promoted through MasterCard's customer banks to their cardholders. MasterCard intends to increase the number of partner merchants and offers in Sri Lanka to deliver even more value for MasterCard cardholders. Sri Lanka will be promoted as an attractive tourist destination in other key markets including Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Americas.*References

Ministry of Economic Development (Sri Lanka) (http://www.med.gov.lk/); Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (http://www.sltda.gov.lk/); Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (http://www.srilanka.travel/); Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management (http://www.slithm.edu.lk/); Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (http://www.visitsrilanka.net/)

Subhas Hotel - Giving the final touches for the re-opening

Sri Lanka introduces new land policy to promote tourism

Colombo, Aug. 22 (Xinhua-ANI): Sri Lanka has introduced new land policy to attract foreign investment for tourism, a minister said on Wednesday.

Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, deputy minister for Economic Development, said the Cabinet has given nod to lease out state lands for hotel projects for foreign investors under 99 years lease agreement.

"The lands will be leased out on the prices valued by Government Chief Valuer," Abeygwardena said.

Sri Lanka's robust post-war tourism sector continued to grow, posting a 7.8 percent rise in July from a year earlier, according to government data.

During the first seven months of the year, Sri Lanka's tourism grew 16.7 percent in comparison to 2011 with UK tourists marking the second highest arrival rate behind India.

Meanwhile, revenue from tourism has increased 24.3 percent to 459.9 million U.S. dollars this year, according to the Central Bank.

With the demand, seven star class hotels including some eco- friendly branded have been opened this year and over 300 rooms were added to the industry. "This was over 27 million U.S. dollar investment on country's tourism," said Abeygwardena.

Sri Lanka has set ambitious targets of one million arrivals for 2012 with its rising to 2.5 million by 2016. Two billion U.S. dollars in earnings are also expected from the industry this year. (Xinhua-ANI)

India to develop Jaffna's KKS harbour

India to develop Jaffna's KKS harbour

Tamil Guardian 09 May 2011     As part of its ongoing efforts to rebuild the war-torn Tamil areas of Sri Lanka, India is to fund development of Kankasanthurai (KKS) harbour, the largest port in the Jaffna peninsula. When its ready, the revamped port will make possible the easy transportation of goods and people between the island's north and nearby Tamil Nadu ports. The Indian government will fund development of KKS in two stages, including repairs to the present breakwater and jetty, and the deepening of the harbour, as well as the building of a new breakwater. In 2010, the Indian government agreed to assist Sri Lanka in the development of bothPalali airport in Jaffna and the Kankesanthurai Port. "The restoration of the Kankesanthurai harbour will provide a fillip to domestic and regional commerce in Sri Lanka. It will also result in increased connectivity and people-to-people contact between India and Sri Lanka, an objective to which both India and Sri Lanka are committed," said a statement issued by the Indian High Commission in Colombo in January. At that time, India's Ministry of External Affairs signed an Agreement with RITES Limited for Consultancy Services on the preparation of a detailed project report and the conduct of geo-technical investigations for the rehabilitation of KKS Harbour. Earlier this week, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who holds the finance portfolio, presented to the cabinet the proposal to develop the harbour, Sugeeswara Senadhira, the Minister-Counsellor at the Sri Lankan High Commission in India said, according to Indian press reports. Senadhira added that the Sri Lankan cabinet sanctioned the plan after the proposal was put forward by the President. "A Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian government is to be signed shortly," Senadhira told IANS. KKS harbour is one of 10 sea and air entry points to Sri Lanka. Its breakwater was severely damaged by the 2006 tsunami and the harbour also needs to be cleared of several shipwrecks from ships that sank off the KKS coast.

Tapping unlimited power - innovative way - Gujarat India

Very innovative - prevents evaporation of water , effective utilization of space , free solar power , initial investment is the only pain part. Even hotels can adopt this. Normally people shy away thinking about initial investment and do not look at the long term benefits of free power and how it will reduce the maintenance cost during off peak seasons as well as peak seasons. 

Tourism Booming

Leisure Education (lankabusinessonline)

28 Jun, 2012 10:30:50

By Charitha Fernando

Sri Lanka hospitality school hopes to fill skills void

June 27, 2012 (LBO) - A leisure industry school linked to a UK-based professional body said it is stepping to fill a growing need for leisure sector executives as the island sees a tourism boom after the end of a three decades long war.

"Everybody is complaining that they don't have trained and committed staff," Eraj Abeywardane, director studies, of Imperial Institute of Hospitality and Leisure (IIHL) said.The school is offering diplomas and higher diplomas covering business management, finance, planning, human resources, marketing and sales in collaboration with Institute of Hospitality, a UK based professional body focusing on the leisure and hospitality industry.


Officials say Sri Lankan hoteliers have to move beyond the islands signature 'big smile' to raise the standard of service to be in par with competitors like India, Thailand and Singapore.
"In the luxury market you need to have more than a big smile and have a sense of service," Philippe Rossiter, the Chief Executive of UK's Institute of Hospitality, a frequent visitor to the island said.
"In Sri Lanka there is a lack of anticipation of what the customer is wanting next. What is needed is to be one step ahead of the customer and pre-empt what they are looking for."

Sri Lanka's tourism sector is booming after the end of a three decades war in 2009. The Indian Ocean island is targeting 950,000 tourists in 2012, up from a record 855,000 in 2012. Up to May 2012 arrivals were up over 60,000 to 387,000.


But during its war Sri Lanka has lost experienced staff to the Middle East and Europe. For training institutes it is an opportunity to fill a market need.


Sri Lanka needs around 26,350 hotel rooms and 354,000 hotel staff by 2016 to meet a national target of wooing 2.5 million tourists.


The IIHL is also looking to attract students from the Maldives, a top competitor in the region.
"We are looking into Male because our accreditation is for Sri Lanka and Maldives both," Abeywardane said.
IIHL said it had invested 25 million rupees on a state of the art kitchen and other facilities and also will also conduct craft courses in culinary art, food and beverage, housekeeping and front office operations.

Promising strategy by Sri Lankan Government in boosting bi-lateral trade through tourism

I feel the era of Sri Lanka has arrived. It can now fast forward to a very enviable growth in the near future if the cards are played right. The gates have been opened up wide. I can see the all the right moves being made like diplomatic visits to all the neighbors. Time has come for FDI into the country in a big way. If Jaffna too is developed fast with adequate infrastructure like roads , hospitals and hotels it will contribute in a big way to Sri Lankan economy. Jaffna was like a paralyzed limp. We need to make it functional fast and this will lead to a rejuvenated growth of the Sri Lankan economy.

As the tourism develops ensure that sustainable development is taken care of from the beginning. This connects business with environment and also takes care of social causes. A holistic approach. More employment will be generated. I think Jaffna tourist spots should be modified and uplifted. People of Jaffna deserves a new lease of life . I hope tourism will help in achieving it. My family has started contributing to Jaffna economy by starting a Hotel. It will be functional by July 2012.

I feel in India Sri Lanka needs to be promoted as a Tourist hot spot. The efforts taken by the Govt is commendable as i read a recent article about Sri Lankan diplomat meeting Kerala (closest Indian state after Tamil Nadu) chief minister Oommen Chandy. Infact The kerala chief minister has given a thumps up to the approach on increasing bi-lateral trade. There are talks regarding opening a consulate in Kerala and also starting a ferry between Kochi and Colombo. People in India needs to know that Sri Lanka is a very good tourism destination that is pristine and affordable. Especially the 4 south Indian states like Kerala , Andra Pradesh , Tamil Nadu and Karnataka with its IT hubs have a lot of disposable incomes and people need new Tourist locations. Hope to see Sri Lankan stall in the emergingkerala2012.org that is happening and likewise hope to see Kerala taking part in Sri Lanka Hotel, Hospitality & Food exhibition 2012 happening in October this year. Its like opening 2 gateways in two countries for Tourism to open up.

Appreciate the Sri Lankan Govt’s efforts in the right direction. Hope for the best of both worlds. God Bless and God Speed.

Sri Lanka calling - We are hiring

 Sri Lanka - one of the most beautiful Islands in the world!

Passionate about working in Hospitality sector in a resurgent and promising economy that is Jaffna , Sri Lanka ?  Ready to be a part of History in the making by contributing to Jaffna Development by being a part of the workforce? Has knowledge about working in a Hotel? We have the Job for you. Please contact - +94773986075

Jaffna tourism gets a boost

The Iconic Subhas Hotel in Jaffna will be online in next 2 months. July , 2012 the hotel is expected become fully operational. The countdown has already started. This star class hotel will have modern facilities . Tourism is on an upswing in Jaffna . The goverment of Sri Lanka has planned an extensive large scale infrastructure development programme for the overall upliftment of Jaffna penninsula.

The need of the hour is good infrastructure that supports Hospitality industry. Subash Hotel management is working 24/7 to fill in the crucial gap at the moment to address this need.

As per Reuters news the below statistics will throw more light on the tourism growth:

COLOMBO, June 12 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals in May jumped 17.5 percent from a year earlier, government data showed on Tuesday. The number of visitors has risen every month since a 25-year civil war ended in May 2009.

    The following table shows tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka:  
 
                             2012            2011          Change  
                        ------------    ----------    -----------  
                                                                    (in %)    
      May            57,506             48,943          17.5      
      Jan-May       387,622        327,902          18.2      
      Jan-Dec                             855,975      
            
    The island nation's tourism board expects over one million tourists in 2012 with revenue of more than $1 billion, 20 percent higher than last year's $830.3 million. Revenue from tourism has risen 26 percent to $340 million in the first four months of 2012 from the same period last year.

    Tourism is one of the main foreign exchange earners for Sri Lanka's $59 billion economy, along with  remittances from expatriate workers, garments and tea. ($1 = 132.0000 Sri Lanka rupees)

Early bird Tourists have already made a visit to this great historical place called Jaffna. The details of their visits are documented in the section of  "Sri Lanka tourism websites".

The tourist hotel has a 30 year old legacy. It started as a Hotel , was used as a Military headquarters and now its getting ready again to perform the rightful role as a hospitality concern contributing to the economy and tourism of Jaffna. The url gives details of hotel history as appeared in a leading Indian news paper : Indian Newspaper Article 

The re-launch will happen in 2 months time from now. Godspeed and Godbless.

Sri Lanka tourism websites

Some useful sites .....

• Apply for Visa Online
• Sri Lanka Hotel,Hospitality & Food exibition 2012 Oct
• For Tourists in Sri Lanka - Travel Guide
• Tourist attractions of Sri Lanka & Statistics
• Good site for Tourist's
• Sri Lanka in 91 Days
• Jaffna attractions
• Jaffna Travel Guide
• Jaffna Potential Tourist mecca in the making
• Jaffna virtual tour
• Jaffna places of interest
• Sri Lanka in an Album

Social Media Links

Links on Facebook

• Jaffna on Facebook
• Subash Hotel on Facebook