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.