The government will soon offer investment opportunities in Colombo Hilton, Grand Hyatt, Water’s Edge and the Grand Oriental Hotel that will be divested in the private sector, Tourism, Lands and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga said.
Speaking at the Indian Ocean Hospitality Investment Conference at the Colombo Hilton yesterday he said the finalization of the Megalopolis Plan and the new financial city will make Colombo the trading and commercial hub of the Indian Ocean between Dubai on the west and Singapore in the east.
“In addition there is substantial state investment in infrastructure development in identified tourist resorts based on a new master plan being formulated by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.We are investing on developing domestic air connectivity to get over the road traffic congestion issue. New airports will be opened close to Kalpitiya and Badulla.Another one was recently opened in Batticaloa.”
“With absolute peace in all parts of the country and a stable government that has given priority to the development of the economy, it is the right time to invest in Sri Lanka,” Amaratunge said.
“What is truly encouraging is that tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka hit an all-time high last month. The number of arrivals which reached 209,351, represented a growth of 19.1 percent compared to July last year and is the highest number recorded in a single month since records began in the sixties. The July arrivals figure is higher than even the figure recorded last December which is traditionally Sri Lanka’s highest grossing month. Last December too was a record with 206,114 arrivals but the July performance had eclipsed this mark.
“This will require doubling of our current capacity. Already some of the world’s top hotel brands have begun construction of hotels here. Some of them are Ritz Carlton, Marriot, Grand Hyatt, Shangri-La, Sheraton and ITC.
“With the increasing arrival targets, new hotels and thousands of new rooms we are also aware of the massive manpower requirement and steps are already underway to address this issue. According to estimates over 20,000 new jobs will be added to the hospitality sector each year over the next four years raising the number directly employed in the hospitality trade from 140,000 at present to 240,000 by 2020.”
“We are also very keen to develop the MICE segment in addition to medical, health and wellness tourism, adventure and sports tourism, and especially event based tourism. While our focus will be on attracting the high spending upmarket segment we want Sri Lanka to continue to be a destination for people from all walks of life. We have no problem with the budget travelers and backpackers, and we welcome the hostels and other establishments that are opening up to cater to these segments.”
Speaking at the Indian Ocean Hospitality Investment Conference at the Colombo Hilton yesterday he said the finalization of the Megalopolis Plan and the new financial city will make Colombo the trading and commercial hub of the Indian Ocean between Dubai on the west and Singapore in the east.
“In addition there is substantial state investment in infrastructure development in identified tourist resorts based on a new master plan being formulated by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.We are investing on developing domestic air connectivity to get over the road traffic congestion issue. New airports will be opened close to Kalpitiya and Badulla.Another one was recently opened in Batticaloa.”
“With absolute peace in all parts of the country and a stable government that has given priority to the development of the economy, it is the right time to invest in Sri Lanka,” Amaratunge said.
“What is truly encouraging is that tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka hit an all-time high last month. The number of arrivals which reached 209,351, represented a growth of 19.1 percent compared to July last year and is the highest number recorded in a single month since records began in the sixties. The July arrivals figure is higher than even the figure recorded last December which is traditionally Sri Lanka’s highest grossing month. Last December too was a record with 206,114 arrivals but the July performance had eclipsed this mark.
“This will require doubling of our current capacity. Already some of the world’s top hotel brands have begun construction of hotels here. Some of them are Ritz Carlton, Marriot, Grand Hyatt, Shangri-La, Sheraton and ITC.
“With the increasing arrival targets, new hotels and thousands of new rooms we are also aware of the massive manpower requirement and steps are already underway to address this issue. According to estimates over 20,000 new jobs will be added to the hospitality sector each year over the next four years raising the number directly employed in the hospitality trade from 140,000 at present to 240,000 by 2020.”
“We are also very keen to develop the MICE segment in addition to medical, health and wellness tourism, adventure and sports tourism, and especially event based tourism. While our focus will be on attracting the high spending upmarket segment we want Sri Lanka to continue to be a destination for people from all walks of life. We have no problem with the budget travelers and backpackers, and we welcome the hostels and other establishments that are opening up to cater to these segments.”
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