Sunday Jun 28, 2009
The Tourism Ministry will launch hotel construction projects at selected locations in the Northern and Eastern Provinces to attract over 100,000 foreign tourists during 2010.

Over 100,000 targeted:

Deputy Tourism Minister Faizer Mustapha told the Sunday Observer that the ending of the 30-year war and the emergence of peace in the North and the East has encouraged the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board and private sector hoteliers to recommence their business activities in the region.

“In addition, several tour group operators will reactivate operations between the South and the North,” he said. Referring to the official launch of the new brand for Sri Lanka Tourism at a ceremony, held in Colombo on Tuesday, Deputy Minister Mustapha said the aim of the launch was to position our country as the premier tourist destination in the region.

He said a team of officials was sent to the Northern and Eastern regions to identify suitable locations to construct hotels and to study ways and means to develop tourist attractions.

“Nilaweli, Arugam Bay and Kuchchaveli in the Trincomalee District are the main places, we have already identified to construct large hotel complexes,” he said.

The Minister said the number of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka from UK, USA, France, the Maldives, Germany, Japan, Russia and Australia will be doubled during the forthcoming season, especially due to the end of the war. Asked about sending local tour groups to the North and East, especially those who have never visited these regions, Minister Mustapha said that priority will be given to promote local tourism in these regions in collaboration with Sri Lanka Tourism.

Source: SUNDAY OBSERVER
Author: Ananda KANNANGARA