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Sri Lanka hotels dress up for post-war rush
Wednesday, 17 March 2010 - 10:16 PM SL Time
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Sri Lanka`s hotel owners are racing to refurbish and add thousands more rooms as foreign holidaymakers pour into the country after the end of nearly four decades of ethnic bloodshed.
Leading hotel groups plan to spend millions of dollars on new decor and facilities for the influx of tourists drawn to the plentiful sunshine, beaches and tropical wildlife on the Indian Ocean island nation.
The ambitious expansion comes amid a post-war revival that has pushed up hotel room rates and given the hospitality industry something to cheer for the first time in years.
For once, after seeing tourists put off by violence and travel warnings from foreign governments, the industry says it is struggling to find places for the visitors, most of whom come from Britain, Germany, France, India and Japan.
`Hotels are overbooked, a `problem` which our hotels have not experienced for a very long time,` said Srilal Miththapala, who heads the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka.
Counting on this solid demand, many are now investing in new furniture, bars, restaurants, swimming pools and extensions.
Sri Lanka`s tourist board expects the total number of hotel rooms to grow from about 15,000 now to 22,000 in the next two years.
In a sign of the changes underway, Sri Lanka`s biggest leisure operator John Keells Holdings is partially refurbishing one of its flagship Colombo hotels, while two of its beach-front resorts are set for a complete facelift.
The group`s resort in the eastern seaport town of Trincomalee, once a hotbed for Tamil Tiger rebels, will re-open in May as a retro-chic five-star hotel.
`With the war behind us, there is pent-up demand for a bit of luxury targeting well-heeled guests. We`re very bullish,` said its deputy chairman, Ajit Gunewardene.
The Tamil Tigers, who waged a 37-year separatist war of suicide bombings, assassinations and military offensives, were crushed by government forces last May, finally bringing peace to the Buddhist-majority nation.
John Keells, which owns seven resorts and two city hotels with 1,600 rooms, will spend in excess of 900 million dollars over three years to renovate and build three hotels, Gunewardene said.
Rival operator Aitken Spence Group says it is spending nearly 30 million dollars in the next year to spruce up properties and build three hotels in the island`s war-torn north and east.
Shiromal Cooray, a director at the Jetwing Group which manages a chain of 10 hotels, admitted that significant improvement was needed because nearly half of the country`s current hotel rooms are below so-called `star class.`
Jetwing plans to spend more than seven million dollars this year to improve its properties.
Dileep Mudadeniya, who heads the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, says most hotels have been fully occupied in the past three or four months.
A key foreign exchange earner, the number of holidaymakers in February soared 68 percent to 57,300 over the same month a year earlier, according to tourist board figures.
`Forward bookings are encouraging,` said Mudadeniya. `I was told that 20 to 30 hotels are closed for any new reservations till the end of March because they are fully booked.`
The industry is hoping to attract 2.5 million visitors by 2016, up from 447,890 in 2009, the final year of hostilities.
It is also hoping to earn two billion dollars annually in tourist revenue by 2016, up from 350 million dollars last year.
The downside for holidaymakers is that the days of bargain hotel rates in Sri Lanka appear to be over.
A year ago, visitors could easily get discounts of 50 percent or more on advertised room rates.
`There are virtually no rooms in the southern resorts. Bookings are heavy,` said Lakal Jayasinghe, who manages the Tangerine Beach Hotel, a deluxe beach resort in the south.
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rswkv
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 17 Mar 2010 16:31:02 GMT Report for Abuse
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The military tribunal against Gen. Sarath Fonseka that met today decided to put off the sessions indefinitely. The same Army officers who participated as judges participated as judges today as well. When counsels representing Gen. Fonseka raised objections the judges suddenly decided to put off the hearing stating they would have to consider whether the tribunal could be continued.
Maj. Gen. H.L. Weeratunga as president and Maj. Gen. D.R.B. Jayatilleke and Maj. Gen. A.L.R. Wijetunga who appeared as judges yesterday participated in the case today as well. Yesterday Gen. Fonseka s lawyers objected to the tribunal stating Maj. Gen. H.L. Weeratunga, the president of the tribunal was the brother-in-law of the present Commander of the Army, Maj. Gen. D.R.B. Jayatilleke was an officer who had been demoted for an offence while Gen. Fonseka was the Army Commander and Maj. Gen. A.L.R. Wijetunga had been found guilty of an illegal tender dealing.
The president of the tribunal stating it was necessary to decide whether the panel of judges could continue the case suddenly put off the hearing indefinitely and left the court.
Pissu ne
Edited By - rswkv - 17 Mar 2010 16:32:34 GMT |
Piyal
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 17 Mar 2010 17:02:28 GMT Report for Abuse
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I am going back to SL for good,....
Life in SL after the GE will be good,.. |
Sinthaka
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 17 Mar 2010 17:09:20 GMT Report for Abuse
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Number one in NY times, No 2 in National Geographic...this little island of ours :)
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Jolyroger
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17 Mar 2010 17:10:08 GMT Report for Abuse
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At last.
Eeelamiyan rilaunta badayanawa ati mewa dakala.
:) |
poppy09
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 17 Mar 2010 17:11:00 GMT Report for Abuse
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John Keells, which owns seven resorts and two city hotels with 1,600 rooms, will spend in excess of 900 million dollars over three years to renovate and build three hotels, Gunewardene said.
saw some designs on how Chaaya Blu Trinco will look once reopened in May - simply amazing! |
Pannacotta
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17 Mar 2010 17:14:51 GMT Report for Abuse
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Number one in NY times, No 2 in National Geographic...this little island of ours :)
She'll always be NUMERO UNO (TM) to me! |
poppy09
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17 Mar 2010 17:17:17 GMT Report for Abuse
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'Hotels are overbooked, a 'problem' which our hotels have not experienced for a very long time,'
even city hotels are 90% filled! :)) |
Pannacotta
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17 Mar 2010 17:19:05 GMT Report for Abuse
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Tell me about it... trying to go for the long weekend... not a single place free for our ginban.. (( 15 people, 3 dogs,... :)
He he he he he.... t
Edited By - Pannacotta - 17 Mar 2010 17:19:36 GMT |
poppy09
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17 Mar 2010 17:25:49 GMT Report for Abuse
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Whats wrong with LNP? you refresh once and you see all posts and you refresh again only the first two posts appear??
Mitta Brown whats wrong?? |
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