Latest News…Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort Project

The Kalpitiya Integrated Resort Development Project (KITRP), one of Sri Lanka’s ambitions tourism development projects, will hold its foundation laying ceremony at the Dutch Bay Resort in mid-December to celebrate the commencement of construction of resorts at Kalpitiya.

In the first stage of the KITRP, six islands will be developed: Ippantivu Island, Vellai Island I, Vellai Island II, Vellai Island III, Eramativu Island, and Kakativu Island. Twenty-five investors, including leading hoteliers and five star hotels in Sri Lanka, have already submitted bids which are currently receiving attention. In addition to Six developers have already been identified and are ready to begin work on Dutch Bay Island.

The KITRP has prepared a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) after consulting the field specialists. However, investors/developers have to prepare Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) or Initial Environmental Assessments (IEE) for their individual projects to receive environmental clearance from the authorities concerned.

Furthermore, KITRP has coordinated with the Urban Development Authority, Coast Conservation Department, Fisheries Department, Central Environmental Authority, North-Western Province Environmental Authority, and the Kalpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha to receive clearances necessary for development projects. Mean while, the KITRP has begun construction of a temporary road from Dutch Bay Island to Uchchamanui for easy transportation of construction materials and goods by developers.

Offering ideal opportunities for high-yield investments resulting from diverse attractions for tourists, such as an airport, golf course, amusement park, water bungalows,ect., Kalpititya will surely be an attractive new tourism destination for world travellers.

Zoning Plan for Kuchchavelli

The SLTDA and the Divisional Secretary, Trincomalee, are taking steps to develop an attractive and environmentally friendly resort in Kuchchavelli. A stretch of land, 8km long with an extent of approximately 600 acres, has been identified for tourism development by the Divisional Secretary.

The Kuchchaveli resort is planned as a ‘Green Integrated Resort’, focusing on sustainable development. The Urban Development Authority has prepared a zoning plan to identify suitable locations for different categories of tourism facilities, such as hotels, guesthouses, conference facilities, and locations for recreational activities ect. In addition, the maximum number of rooms per acre will be limited and the footprint of any area to be built up shall not exceed 25% of the land. Furthermore, undeveloped areas will be landscaped with plants, creepers and trees endemic to the area.

The plans for this green, mega-resort have already garnered interest of the private sector. Seventy investors, ranging from reputed hotel chains to entrepreneurs new to the industry, have already submitted applications. When completed this resort will make a value-added addition to Sri Lanka Tourism.

Tourist Facilitators in and around Kandy

Acting on a requirement made by tourist facilitators in and around Kandy, the Domestic Tourism and Resort Management Division of the SLTDA organized a training program for facilitators on October 11th and 12th, 2009. The program was held at the Suisse Hotel Kandy with 120 participants in attendance.

The program focused on the positive and negative impacts of tourism and ways they can be managed as well as the future role of tourism in Sri Lanka. Lectures delivered toward on:

• ‘Tourism: Past, Present, and Future’ – Mr. U.P.S. Pathirana, Former Director, SLTDA
  
  
• ‘Impacts of Tourism’ – Mr. P.U. Rathnayaka, Director DTD&RM, SLTDA
  
  
• ‘Personality Building and Positive Attitude’ – Mr. W.P. Dayarthne, Former DIG, Sri Lanka Police
  
  
• ‘Role of the Tourist Police’ – Mr. Nayanapriya Edirisinghe, OIC, Sri Lanka Tourist Police
  
  
• ‘Combating Child Sex Tourism in Sri Lanka’ – Mr. Dheera Hettiarachchi, SLTDA

On conclusion of the program, the participants sat for a written examination, Where will enable them to function on tourist facilitates.

School Awareness Program

Subsequent to the World Tourism Day celebrations, and its intention of raising awareness on the role of tourism in society, school awareness programs were organized in Galle and Kandy with lectures delivered by the Domestic Tourism and Resort Management Division of the SLTDA.

Three awareness programs were held:

The Ruhunu Tourist Bureau organized the awareness program for October 1st, 2009 at the Provincial Ministry of Education Auditorium in Galle. One hundred students, representing various schools in the Galle District, attended.

The Department of Trade Commerce and Tourism in the Central Province arranged the program for October 12th, 2009 at Thilanka Hotel in Kandy for 150 students.

The Trade Commerce and Tourism in the Central Province held an awareness program on November 5th, 2009 at the Welivita Sangharaja Thero Commemoration Hall, Kiribathkumbura, Kandy for nearly 75 participants, including students and teachers.

The objective of the program was to educate children and teachers on tourism, explain good travel culture and set up School Travel Clubs. Lectures delivered on:

• ‘Tourism: Past, Present, and Future’ – Mr. P.U. Rathnayaka, Director DTD&RM, SLTDA



• ‘Learn to Travel – Travel to Learn’ – Mr. Dheera Hettiarachchi, SLTDA

The Culinary Delights of the World Spice Food Festival

The World Spice Food Festival (November 6th – 14th 2009) brought delicious food from around the world to Colombo for nine exciting days. Having conceded its 4th year, the Festival is already creating a buzz for the fifth year.

Despite the rains, the Food Village at the Galle Face Green was festive and lively. Music filled the air while 21 signature chefs from around the world showcased their culinary delights for all to sample. The ‘Spice Art Competition’ had over 30 participants with the ‘Best Spice Artist Award’ going to a university student, which did not diminish the innovative signature crab dishes presented to visitors during the ‘Crab Cooking Competition’.

With the close of the Food Village, the international chefs displayed their talents and skills at leading hotels and restaurants from the 9th to 14th of November. The participating hotels included Galadari, Hilton Colombo, Hilton Colombo Residencies, Cinnamon Lake Side, Cinnamon Grand, Taj Samudra, Water's Edge, Galle Face Hotel, Holiday Inn, Mount Lavinia Hotel, Grand Oriental Hotel, Ceylon Continental, Regina Margharita, Nihon Bashi, Mango Tree, Siam House, Raja Bojun, and The Sizzle.

The World Spice Food Festival was organized by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority with HSBC Bank as the principle sponsor and Mlesna Tea, Elephant Drinks, Elephant House Ice Cream, Alpha Orient Lanka, and SriLankan Airlines as its co-sponsors.

“Opportunities for Digital Asia”, Colombo hosts e-Asia 2009

In December, the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) will be the proud hosts of the biggest ICT event of the region, e-Asia 2009. Aptly titled ‘Opportunities for Digital Asia’, the event will be held over 3 days at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo.

The conference will cover 40 thematic seminal sessions based on e-Governance, Digital Learning, e-Health, Tele-centres and Emerging e-Technologies. Global visionaries, innovators, practitioners, policy makers, and representatives from varied donor agencies are expected to attend the event. Delegates from over 45 countries and 100 corporate organisations are scheduled to attend and approximately 30,000 are estimated to visit the exhibition.

During the last several years, Sri Lanka has seen rapid development in its IT sector. Recently ‘1919’, the Government Information Centre Programme, won the World Summit for Information Society Award (WSIS) for the best e-content project in the world, superseding approximately 20,000 entries from 157 countries. Sri Lanka’s Networked Readiness Index grew from 72% (2005) to 53% (2009). The country’s IT-BPO status improved from being ranked 29th in 2008 to 16th in 2009 and its ICT literacy rose to 27% (vs. 9.1% in 2004). In recognition of its achievements and commitment to development, UNESCAP re-elected Sri Lanka to the chair of the ICT Committee for the second consecutive year.

Hosting e-Asia this year is of much significance to Sri Lanka. In May 2009 the country overcame all obstacles and ended its thirty year war on terrorism. Moreover, under a directive by His Excellency the President, the year 2009 was declared as the ‘Year of English and ICT’.

For more information please refer www.e-asia.org

Optimizing è Future 2009 – Sri Lanka’s first Online Marketing Conference

Optimizing è Future 2009 – Sri Lanka’s first Online Marketing Conference hosted by eMarketingEye was a resounding success with over 100 delegates’ representative of Sri Lanka’s travel and hospitality industry in participation.

Following the conference, eMarketingEye and the Google Team made themselves available for one-to-one meetings with conference attendees, offering their insight on how to effectively utilize the Internet as a low cost, distribution channel.

The event was endorsed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), with electronic media sponsorship by ART TV ……… for more

Best wishes from SLTDA

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