Air Arabia Cancels Mattala/Hambantota Service

Air Arabia Cancels Mattala Service

Sri Lanka's second international airport

Air Arabia, the Sharjah-based United Arab Emirates has cancelled its services to Sharjah – Mattala/Hambantota route,just 6 weeks after it became the first foreign carrier to service the newest international airport in Sri Lanka.The airline previously operated twice weekly service.

Reservations on the airline's website is no longer available, the Airline Route  reported.

Sri Lankan government to offer discount packages at Mattala Airport

Sri Lankan government to offer discount packages
 at Mattala Airport

Sri Lanka's second international airport

The Sri Lankan government  is to offer discount packages to the passengers who use the Mattala Airport once it is opened on the 18th.

We encourage passengers to go to Mattala, if they are flying abroad from Hambantota or Batticaloa.the offers would be given to airlines as well as to the passengers,Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne said.

Flights that use the Mattala Airport would be provided with aviation fuel at a lower cost, he added.

The government also plans to send 60 percent of the export cargo from Mattala.The Minister pointed out that the concessions offered to international airlines to use the Mattala Airport would help them reduce ticket fares.

Mattala International Airport to be opened in March 18

Mattala International Airport to be opened in March 18

Sri Lanka's second international airport

Mattala International Airport in Hambantota will be declared open on March 18,The Minister of Civil Aviation, Piyankara Jayaratne said. 
The Hambantota eco-friendly International Airport is the Sri Lanka's second international airport which is construction in Mattala.


This is placed in the deep south of the country close to the fast developing coastal town of Hambantota.

Turkish Airlines to fly to Sri Lanka

Turkish Airlines to fly to Sri Lanka

Service Launch from Feb 2013

Turkish Airlines plans to extend existing 5 weekly Istanbul – Male service to Colombo,Sri Lanka from next month(1st of February).As a result of the service extension, operational schedule on Istanbul - Male is being revised, and Turkish Airlines has local traffic rights on Male - Colombo sector, UK-based Routes said.
operation will be reduced to 4 weekly, however it’ll be operated on an Airbus A340-300 which can carry about 100 more passengers than the currently used A330-200.

Sri Lanka targets 1.25 million tourists in 2013

Sri Lanka targets 1.25 million tourists in 2013

"Sri Lanka is popular as a green and natural tourism destination"

In 2012, 1 million(approximately 1,000,4000) international visitors travelled to Sri Lanka, up compared to 2011, and itself a new record. Achieving the targeted 1.25 million tourists by the end of 2013 is an attainable target, given that the industry and the authorities give priority to proper marketing and promotion for the destination.

The official noted that the targets had been set after analysing factors such as the availability of room capacity, State infrastructure development, hotel refurbishments, etc. “Achieving the targets will gradually take us to realise the 2.5 million tourist arrivals by 2016. Sri Lanka is popular as a green and natural tourism destination and is gaining popularity among travellers,” the official said.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau(SLTPB) added that the industry would take part in more travel fairs and road shows this year, targeting the likes of India, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Middle East, and the CIS countries.

Sri Lanka welcomes1000,000th tourist

Sri Lanka welcomes1000,000th tourist

1,000,000th tourist in year 2012

Sri Lanka Tourism welcomed the arrival of 1,000,000th tourist in year 2012 at Bandaranaike International Airport last night. Accordingly Ms. Jiang Ying and her husband were the 1,000,000th tourist who arrived in the country.
Sri Lanka Tourism took steps to arrange a special ceremony to welcome the 1,000,000th guest.

The tourist was greeted by senior officials of Sri Lanka Tourism, SriLankan airlines and Airport Aviation.

"I had heard a lot about Sri Lanka from my friends. I found out details about your country before deciding my holiday destination. I was simply bewitched by the photos on the internet. Sri Lanka is as beautiful and breathtaking as presented in the photos. Moreover, Sri Lankans are very hospitable and kind."said  Ms. Jiang Ying.

Sri Lanka has set a target of 1.3 million tourist arrivals for 2013.

Sri Lanka Tourism's promotional campaign in Australia

Sri Lanka Tourism's promotional campaign in Australia

Sri Lanka Tourism targets to attract 50,000 Australian tourists in 2013

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau launched a fresh promotional campaign in Australia,The campaign launched with the start of the historic ‘Boxing Day’ Test match played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), will be continued during the test series s and the upcoming five one day international (ODI) and two T20 matches between Sri Lanka and Australia. 

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) expects the campaign to reach nearly 75 million TV viewers around the world, who will be glued to television sets, watching Cricket matches.

Sri Lanka Tourism is aiming to promote the county’s Beaches, its heritage, its wildlife aspects and also its various cultural festivals to the Australians.

Sri Lanka has only attracted just 0.5% out of the 7 million Australians who have traveled out of their country annually. Sri Lanka Tourism targets to attract 50,000 Australian tourists during the year 2013 and already has attracted  35,000 visitors in this year.

Sri Lanka to launch domestic carrier in 2013

Sri Lanka to launch domestic carrier in 2013

First domestic carrier

Sri Lanka will launch its first domestic air taxi service next year(2013), which will fly to several key coastal and inland destinations, operating from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), the country’s only international airport. Cinnamon Air is the brainchild and joint venture of the parent company behind Sri Lankan owned and operated Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and Chaaya Hotels & Resorts – John Keells Holdings – MMBL Leisure Holdings and Phoenix Ventures Limited.

The service will significantly reduce the time spent on road transfers between the airport and hotels and on excursions, while at the same time, allowing visitors to discover the incredible diversity of the island scenically and with ease.
The start-up fleet – operated by Saffron Aviation – will consist of two Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibian aircraft (seating nine passengers each) and one wheeled Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft (seating 12 passengers), allowing the airline the flexibility to operate from any of the domestic and international airports as well as from waterdromes in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka welcomes 950,000th tourist

Sri Lanka welcomes 950,000th tourist

"I am really surprised by your warm welcome and the gifts"

Marking the maximum number of tourists who visited Sri Lanka this year the 950,000th tourist arrived at the  Bandaranaike International Airport. Accordingly a Polish woman named Agtha Dziekan was named the 950,000th tourist who arrived in the country with her husband Ku Jawa. To celebrate this occasion the Tourism Promotion Bureau has gifted the couple with a three day complimentary stay at any hotel in the country of their choice along with a tour to visit Sri Lanka’s places of tourist attractions.

Sri Lanka reached its 2011 target of 800,000 tourists last year on 19 December. All promotional activities and events in the next couple of years will be aimed at achieving the target number of 2.6 million tourists by 2016, states the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

Sri Lanka the best destination to visit in 2013

Sri Lanka the best destination to visit in 2013

British Airways destination ranking 2013

Sri Lanka has topped the 13 destinations categorized as popular favorite places to visit in 2013. This ranking has been accorded to Sri Lanka by a panel of experts assigned by British Airways to compile a list of the top 13 new destinations and popular favorite places to visit in 2013.


The Panel of Experts have made their determination based on tourists heading to the island in increasing numbers after the end of terrorism, attractions like beaches, elephant treks and a large number of UNESCO world heritage sites to visit in the country.

Rio de Janeiro is second and it has been based in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup taking place across the country in 2014. The World Cup is expected to attract a massive number of tourists which will have an effect on the already rising prices of tourist facilities such as hotels and restaurants.

South Korean capital is in the 3rd place in the list. 

The other destinations are
Croatia: Vietnam; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Derry, Northern Ireland; Las Vegas, USA; Tbilisi, Georgia; San Diego, California, USA; Cape Town, South Africa; Alicante, Spain; and Dubai, UAE. 

H.E. the President Mahinda Rajapaksha declared open a Cargills Food City at the new resting area along the Southern Express Way

The President Mahinda Rajapaksha declared open
 a Cargills Food City at the new resting area
 along the Southern Express Way

‘Canowin Arcade’ at Welipenna

H.E. the President Mahinda Rajapaksha declared open a Cargills Food City at the new resting area along the Southern Express Way at Welipenna yesterday, (December 6, 2012). The ‘Canowin Arcade’ at Welipenna has two resting areas for commuters travelling on either side of the Southern Expressway.Cargills Food City outlets are located at both resting areas.

The President Mahinda Rajapaksha declared
open a Cargills Food City

Both outlets of Cargills Food City are complete with a range of goods for the discerning traveler. Commenting on the openings, Mr. Sidath Kodikara, Chief Operating Officer – Retail, Cargills (Ceylon) PLC said this was part of an overall corporate effort of aligning its business objectives with the greater vision of H.E. the President Mahinda Rajapaksha and the State’s development agenda. “We are conscious of our responsibility as a corporate citizen to support and facilitate the development goals of our Country. We are pleased to therefore contribute towards the development of the landmark Southern Expressway with the opening of 2 new Cargills Food City outlets at the Welipenna rest area,” he said.

The rest area also includes restrooms, restaurants, a children’s play area and a coffee shop. Mr. Kodikara added that Cargills Food City aims to be true to its slogan of being ‘On your way home’. “Innovation has played a big part in effectively responding to the needs of our customers and engaging with them. Our opening at Welipenna reiterates our commitment to serve the needs of our customers wherever they maybe,” he noted.

Sri Lanka steps up tourism publicity in China

Sri Lanka steps up tourism publicity in China

"Spring Festival"

The Embassy of  Sri Lanka in Beijing together with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has organized a series of events to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chengdu to attract Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka including those who will be travelling overseas during the Chinese "Spring Festival" holiday in February 2013.

Sri Lanka tourism pavilions were organized at the " China International Travel Mart 2012" (CITM) Exhibition in Shanghai and the "Chengdu International Travel Fair 2012" (CITF) Exhibition.

"The Embassy of Sri Lanka, in consultation with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, designed the Sri Lanka pavilions to exhibit the eight product categories of Sri Lanka tourism and were awarded the 'Best Organizer Award' of CITM 2012 in Shanghai and ' Certificate of Appreciation' at CITF 2012 in Chengdu," 

The Sri Lankan government hopes to attract one million tourists this year.

‘Refreshingly Sri Lanka’ launched

‘Refreshingly Sri Lanka’ launched

First-ever tourism coffee table book

Sri Lanka launched its first-ever tourism coffee table book titled ‘Refreshingly Sri Lanka’, authored by former  Tourism Chief and present Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Dr. Nalaka Godahewa.

The high quality coffee table book, ‘Refreshingly Sri Lanka’, with 250 pages carries over 160 exclusive photographs, supported by comprehensive text of over 30,000 words describing almost every key tourism attraction in the country.

The book covers the eight product categories of Sri Lanka tourism

• beaches
• wildlife
• heritage
• ayurveda
• sports
• scenic beauty
• festivals and essence.

A must read for travelers to understand why Sri Lanka was called the most beautiful island in the world by famous the 13th century explorer Marco Polo.

Sri Lanka and Russia to strengthen tourism

Sri Lanka and Russia to strengthen tourism

Russian companies have already expressed willingness to invest...

Steps are to be taken to strengthen tourism trade and investment bonds between Russia and Sri Lanka,the New Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Alexander A. Karchava said. 

He said that Russian tourists take up a large proportion of tourism around the world and a special programme would be implanted among Russian tourists to promote Sri Lanka as a greater tourist destination.

Mr.Alexander A. Karchava made this statement at a discussion with the Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa.

Ambassador Alexander pointed out that Russian companies have already expressed willingness to invest in a Power Plant and a Fertilizer Factory in Sri Lanka. He told the Minister that he had seen to himself the development that is taking place in The Colombo City.He highly appreciated it.

Also, a group of Russian Media would be entitled to promote Sri Lanka in Russia, he further added.

When Minister Basil Rajapaksa requested the new envoy to take measures to promote Sri Lankan tea in Russia, he has agreed to take immediate steps in that regard.

 

Cable car service to Sri Pada(Sri Lanka)

Cable car service to Sri Pada(Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka's sacred mountain Sri Pada

Cable car service to the famous pilgrim destination Sri Pada will be launched from next year,Sri Lanka Minister of State Administration John Seneviratne Said.

Hundreds of thousands of local and foreign devotees belonged to many religions trek to the summit of the sacred mountain each year during the season which is normally between the full moon days of December and May months.

that a cable car service will be established to connect Erathna town in Kuruwita to the top of the Samanala mountain range where a venerated ancient foot mark is believed to be located.

The cable car service is expected to promote tourism in the picturesque vicinity and also to ease the climb of several kilometers for the weak.

Cathay Pacific to launch a new Freighter Service to Sri Lanka

Cathay Pacific to launch a new Freighter Service

Cathay Pacific Expands Cargo Network

Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific Airways announced the launch of a new weekly freighter service to Colombo in Sri Lanka commencing 2 December 2012. 

The new service is aiming to cater to the huge volumes of garments and perishables bound for the North America, Europe and Asian markets from Sri Lanka.
The Colombo freighter service will be operated on a Hong Kong-Chennai-Colombo-Hong Kong routing every Sunday using one of Cathay Pacific's Boeing 747-400F aircraft.

“Sri Lanka is home to major garment and footwear manufacturers producing goods for well-known international brands, and also has sizable exports of perishable products including tuna and lobster. We already carry sizable quantities of freight in the bellies of our daily passenger flights to and from Colombo, but the new freighter service will enable us to better meet the demand for Sri Lankan products in major markets around the world.”, Cathay Pacific Director Cargo Nick Rhodes was quoted saying in the statement.

Cathay Pacific is committed to expanding its freighter network and has also added services to Zhengzhou and Hyderabad this year. The airline recently took delivery of its eighth Boeing 747-8F freighter aircraft, with two more to be delivered in 2013.

Cathay Pacific has been serving Sri Lanka since 1993. The airline suspended its operations to Colombo in April 2007 due to security concerns and resumed service from March 2008. It operates seven weekly flights from Colombo to Hong Kong via Singapore and Bangkok.

Sri Lanka among top 5 emerging tourist destinations

Sri Lanka among top 5 emerging tourist destinations

2012 Emerging Tourism Countries

Sri Lanka has been listed among the five new emerging travel destinations by the World Travel Market's industry 2012 (WTM) report.

The report, launched in London last week, highlights travel trends, and is referred to by many professionals in the industry in making their strategic plans.

The Tourism Development Authority said the three key factors highlighted for Sri Lanka were re-emerging after the civil war; investing in infrastructure; and beauty of destination.

Other countries are:

• Mexico
• Malaysia
• Indonesia
• Argentina

according to a statement issued by Sri Lanka's Tourism Development Authority on Monday. 
Sri Lanka's tourism sector has been booming since the end of a three-decade war with the Tamil Tigers in 2009.The government has targeted one million tourist arrivals for 2012 and revenue of $1 billion from foreign direct investment.

By 2016, it hopes to reach 2.5 million arrivals despite industry experts warning of massive infrastructure upgrades to meet this target.  The World Travel Market (WTM) is a British event aimed at the global travel industry. 

Thousands of travel industry professionals, government ministers and representatives of the international media, converge on ExCeL London each year in November to attend WTM.

Tourist Arrivals Continue To Increase in Sri Lanka

Tourist Arrivals Continue To Increase in Sri Lanka

Visitor Arrivals Increased In September

The year 2012 has continued to exceed expectations for tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka.  Tourist arrivals in the month of September increased by 18.1 percent compared to the same period last year(2011).
--> Statistics released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority indicated that 71,111 tourists arrived in the country in the month of September compared to the 60,219 tourist arrivals in September 2011. Arrivals during the first nine months of the year has increased by 16 percent to 693,772 from the 598,006 arrivals in the same period last year.

Sri Lanka Tourism is optimistic that Sri Lanka would attract over one million visitors by the end of this year

Lonely Planet Ranks Sri Lanka Best To Visit In 2013

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2013

The Lonely Planet ranks the top 10 countries and cities to visit in 2013

"The Lonely Planet", the world's largest travel guide and the digital media publisher ranked Sri Lanka as the top destination in the world to travel in 2013.

The travel experts and the voters have predicted that Sri Lanka will be on the top of thehottest new destinations for the travelers in year 2013.

The long-running civil war now over Sri Lanka is emerging as one of the planet's best-value destinations, The 2013 travel guide "The Lonely Planet" says.

-->

"investment is again fuelling the tourist industry in Sri Lanka and visitor numbers are steadily increasing.Prices are affordable. Indeed, Sri Lanka is emerging as one of the planet's best-value destinations," Under the title "Serenity returns to Serendib" the world's most trusted travel publisher says. 

The 2013 Travel Guide highlights the emerging new popular places to visit in Sri Lanka, including the newly opened up East coast and less traveled paths in the western coast as well.

Top 10 countries to visit in 2013

1. Sri Lanka

2. Montenegro

3. South Korea

4. Ecuador

5. Slovakia

6. Solomon Islands 

7. Iceland

8. Turkey

9. Dominican Republic

10. Madagascar

Lonely Planet's top 10 cities to visit in 2013

1. San Francisco, US

2. Amsterdam, Netherlands

3. Hyderabad, India

4. Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland

5. Beijing, China

6. Christchurch, New Zealand

7. Hobart, Australia

8. Montreal, Canada

9. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

10. Puerto Iguazu, Argentina

Five-star hotel opens in Sri Lanka's Pasikuda beach

Five-star hotel opens in Sri Lanka's Pasikuda beach

East coast five star hotels

A five star hotel for local and foreign tourists has come up on Pasikuda beach paving the way for a tourist spring.Uga Escapes, a Finco Group company has opened a beachfront luxury boutique resort, Uga Bay Hotel in Pasikuda,Sri Lanka.

The Uga Bay Hotel built at a cost of 850 million rupees includes a bay suite and a beach chalet on a nine-acre block of land in the Eastern coast which is famous for its white sandy beaches, whale watching and for surfing.

-->

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Authority has set up a tourism development zone in Pasikuda which is popular for its clean beaches and 14 hotels are to be built in the 150-acres.
Sri Lanka has been able to achieve a steady development in the tourism industry in the past two years. In 2011 exceeding the target, 854 thousand tourists arrived in the country. The tourist target this year has been stipulated to be 950 thousand. Already this target has been exceeded. It is envisaged to attract 25 million tourists by 2016.