<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RT_DCjgDlL4/U41eHk9A9NI/AAAAAAAAGF4/nbiktJTwejI/s1600/Sri+Lanka's+promise+of+a+oneworld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RT_DCjgDlL4/U41eHk9A9NI/AAAAAAAAGF4/nbiktJTwejI/s1600/Sri+Lanka's+promise+of+a+oneworld.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>HAMBANTOTA (Sri Lanka): On June1, Sri Lankan Airlines, the country's national carrier will complete one month since its first flight flew out of Colombo on May 1 under the "oneworld" banner. <br /><br />For "SriLankan" which traces its origin back to 1947 the new beginning as part of the "oneworld global airline alliance" comes with the promise of a world class experience when tourist season picks up from July and peaks towards the end of the year. <br /><br />The blue waters, golden beaches, coconut tree clad landscapes and the endearing hospitality high on sea food makes Sri Lanka a popular destination. As part of its tourism strategy Sri lanka has set a target of 2.5 million tourists by 2016. <br /><br />The entry of "SriLankan Airlines" in the global alliance makes it the first carrier to be part of "oneworld" in the Indian subcontinent and is yet another sign of how fast the small island country is trying to make its presence felt on the international platform. <br /><br />The airline's addition to the alliance brings two new destinations on to the network- India's Tiruchirapalli and the picturesque Hambantota in Sri Lanka along with its Colombo base as a new oneworld hub. <br /><br />With "SriLankan", the one world alliance launched 15 years ago now serves 1000 airports in 150 countries with 14250 daily departures; serving more than 500 million passengers a year on a combined fleet with other alliance partners of about 3,300 aircrafts. <br /><br />Some of the other alliance partners include Asia Pacific's cathay pacific, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Australia's Qantas, British Airways, Finnair, Qatar airways and American airlines among others. <br /><br />With an extensive schedule serving southern India and as the leading international airline serving the Maldives, SriLankan now also strengthens oneworld's presence throughout South Asia, one of the world's fastest growing regions for air travel demand. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D6qvnN40DeU/U41ePFhQXqI/AAAAAAAAGGA/WZQa1zdtwg4/s1600/Sri+Lanka's+promise+of+a+oneworld_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="479" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D6qvnN40DeU/U41ePFhQXqI/AAAAAAAAGGA/WZQa1zdtwg4/s1600/Sri+Lanka's+promise+of+a+oneworld_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Srilankan Airlines chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe shares the goals that his team seeks to achieve. "With the world airline industry ncreasignly focused on alliances, joining "oneworld" is one of the most significant developments to date for SriLankan Airlines. The alliance has put Srilankan more firmly on the global aviation map. It will vastly improve Sri Lanka's connectivity with the rest of the world, which is vital for our country's trade and tourism." <br /><br />When Sri Lankan entry in "oneworld" alliance was announced on April 30, the government of the island nation chose to showcase before the worlds its brand new Mattala Rajapaksa International airport in Hambantota. This airport with its world class infrastructure is awaiting a deluge of tourists from this year. <br /><br />Through this new airport Sri Lanka seeks to encourage tourists to visit Sri lanka's south and East coasts and Hambantota sea port. The ongoing construction work at the airport shows the government plans to cater to more flights in the future. <br /><br />Hambantota District lies in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. Referred to as an underdeveloped area at one point of time it was hit hard by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Now the district is witnessing a lot of development works and major development projects. The Mattala international airport is one of the key projects that forms part of the government's plan to transform Hambantota into the second major urban hub of Sri Lanka, away from Colombo. <br /><br />Climatically speaking, travel reviewers suggest the best seasons in Sri Lanka are from December to March for the west coast, the south coast and the Hill Country, and from April to September for the ancient cities region and the east coast. December through March are also the months when most foreign tourists visit the island. <br /><br />Sri Lanka's climate means that it is always the 'right' beach season somewhere on the coast. The weather doesn't follow strict rules, though - it often seems to be raining where it should be sunny, and sunny where it should be raining. Rainfall tends to be emphatic - streets can become flooded in what seems like only minutes.

HAMBANTOTA (Sri Lanka): On June1, Sri Lankan Airlines, the country's national carrier will complete one month since its first flight fle...

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  Posted at   10:34 PM  | news | 0 comments

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PKKTyWywRZM/U41fqfuaswI/AAAAAAAAGGM/5Gi6Rht32iA/s1600/Regional+Meet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>May 30, 2014 (LBT) - Sri Lanka has seen an upsurge of business tourism, with an estimated 11.2% of all tourist arrivals into the country being for business purposes or to attend conventions and meetings, according to the latest <a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/" target="_blank">Sri Lanka</a> Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) report. The influx of tourists can be attributed to an economic resurgence in the island post-war, with new ports, highways and airports being constructed. <br /><br />In line with this trend, <a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/" target="_blank">Sri Lanka</a> recently hosted the Caterpillar Asia Dealer Service Training Focus Group Seminar, the first time an event of this nature was hosted in Sri Lanka by the Caterpillar Group. <br /><br />Caterpillar is a global leader in the Construction and Engineering sector which has more than 200 dealers across the world. This seminar was facilitated by United Tractor & Equipment (UTE), the dealer for Caterpillar in Sri Lanka. <br /><br />The focus group saw representatives from countries like India, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore and Korea attend. “With the dawning of peace in the country it is a point of pride for us as citizens that a global giant like Caterpillar chose to host their events in our country,” said H. R. Ranasinghe, GM-Product Support at UTE. <br /><br />The focus group participants had the opportunity to visit UTE's multimillion dollar workshop as well as their state-of-the-art training centre during their visit to <a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/" target="_blank">Sri Lanka.</a><br /><br />“The UTE training facility is on par even with similar facilities in developed countries - having these types of modern facilities will ensure that their customers get the best out of their investment on vital capital goods,” said K. B. Chua, the Asia Region Service Training and Development representative of Caterpillar. <br /><br />An electric generator fault simulator in particular drew the attention of participants during the visit to the Training Centre, as it had been specially developed by UTE's own engineers. UTE training centre is equipped with many simulators and diagnostic tools to train service technicians on various service procedures. <br /><br />UTE's Training Centre is affiliated to the National Apprenticeship and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA), while their training facility in Wattala is affiliated to the internationally renowned Caterpillar ABC training programme, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of industrial training. The latest UTE training centre enrolls school leavers in several batches every year in both customer and apprentice training. The centre draws from the expertise of engineers and technicians who have been trained at Caterpillar International Training Centres. <br /><br />Dealer Service Training Focus group is an annual forum, which brings together representatives from the training divisions of countries in the region in order to strengthen the cooperation and communication between Caterpillar Service & training experts. This is a platform for knowledge sharing and the dissemination of latest technology related information among the dealers.

May 30, 2014 (LBT) - Sri Lanka has seen an upsurge of business tourism, with an estimated 11.2% of all tourist arrivals into the country bei...

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  Posted at   10:37 PM  | | 0 comments

<br /><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="265" src="http://srilanka.travel/image/data/New%20items%20news/MEGA%20TOURISM%20CARAVAN%206%20Day%201_1.jpg" width="400" /></div><br />The grand Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Show- Mega Tourism Caravan 6 commenced its activities with a Cultural Show followed by a Banquet, fittingly named " Sri Lankan Night" at the Crystal Ballroom of the hotel " Lotte Plaza" in Moscow, on the night of 29 May 2014. Under the guidance of Ministry of Economic Development and supported by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau the event is meticulously planned and executed under the close supervision of His Excellency Udayanga Weeratunga the Ambassador to Russian Federation. The 'Sri Lankan Night' at the Lotte Plaza was showcasing the 'Beauty and Traditions' of Sri Lanka became a tremendous success and gave the right impetus to other activities to follow in the Mega Tourism Caravan 6 show. <br /><br />The presence of over 200 guests at the 'Sri Lankan Night' comprising members of the diplomatic corps, leading travel and tour operators in Moscow, prominent businessmen in the tourism and tea trade, leading print and electronic media representatives and the members of the Sri Lankan community added glamour and quality to the evening. <br /><br /><img height="212" src="http://srilanka.travel/image/data/New%20items%20news/MEGA%20TOURISM%20CARAVAN%206%20Day%201_3.jpg" width="320" /><img height="211" src="http://srilanka.travel/image/data/New%20items%20news/MEGA%20TOURISM%20CARAVAN%206%20Day%201_2.jpg" width="320" /><br /><br />The photo exhibition which greeted the guests on their arrival added a lot of colour to the event too with over 120 photos displayed on visits of His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Republic of Kazakhstan. The photos on display also included photos of major tourist destinations in Sri Lanka such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Kandy, Sigiriya, Pinnawela and Nuwara Eliya along with scenic and pristine beaches on both Western and Eastern coasts, Hotels, Sri Lankan cuisine, traditional dancing and wild life. One of the highlights of the evening was the Sri Lankan Cultural Show presented by the Dance Guild of maestro Chandana Wickremasinghe encapsulating rich Sri Lankan culture through traditional dancing, drum fusions, mask dancing and a medley of folk songs. <br /><br />Addressing the august gathering the Ambassador eloquently explained why Sri Lanka is considered the best tourist destination in the Asian region and the recent acknowledgement of it by many internationally renowned tour operators. He also spoke of the long standing friendship between Russia and Sri Lanka and the strong bonds between the peoples of both the countries and invited all those present from the travel trade to encourage their customers to visit Sri Lanka which the Ambassador assured would be an experience to remember.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/index.php?route=event/travelnews&news=229" target="_blank">Read More>></a>

The grand Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Show- Mega Tourism Caravan 6 commenced its activities with a Cultural Show followed by a Banquet, fitt...

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  Posted at   11:25 PM  | news | 0 comments

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vTMO-xL1vbc/U41mPg15ulI/AAAAAAAAGGw/386STBWTCuw/s1600/New+Korean+Ambassador+meets+Minister+Basil+Rajapaksa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vTMO-xL1vbc/U41mPg15ulI/AAAAAAAAGGw/386STBWTCuw/s1600/New+Korean+Ambassador+meets+Minister+Basil+Rajapaksa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Chang Won-sam, newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador to Korea, paid a courtesy call on Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development,recently at the Ministry of Economic Development. Reviewing the present status of bilateral relations, new Korean Ambassador stated that he wish to further improve bilateral relations between the two nations.<br /><br />The Ambassador agreed to boost trade and investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. He expressed that Korean Government wish to provide further assistance to develop areas such as health, tourism, agriculture and education in Sri Lanka. Minister Rajapaksa thanked the Korean Government for provide necessary assistance for development works in Sri Lanka. Diplomatic relation started between the two countries 37years ago and strong relationship prevailed during the period. Korea and Sri Lanka have developed mutual cooperatione and friendly relations in various fields such as politics, economy, development cooperation, cultural affairs, and personnel exchanges. Sri Lanka is now the 3rd largest partner country of Korea’s Official Development Assistant (ODA) programs. Every year thousands of young Sri Lankans migrate to Korea to work in various industrial sites across the country, making a meaningful contribution to Korea’s economic development.<br /><br />www.news.lk

Chang Won-sam, newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador to Korea, paid a courtesy call on Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development,rec...

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  Posted at   11:09 PM  | news | 0 comments

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xUgRWEvWpsM/U41hh7hT8AI/AAAAAAAAGGY/3Ju_rNHYLc8/s1600/Sri+Lanka.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>COLOMBO, <a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/" target="_blank">Sri Lanka</a> - Earnings from Sri Lanka's booming tourism industry jumped 26.2% in March and April to 192.2 million US dollars, the Central Bank said on Monday. <br /><br />Releasing its external performance report the Central Bank noted earnings had increasing an impressive 49.8 percent from the same period last year. <br /><br />Tourist arrivals grew at a rate of 39.5 percent, year-on-year to 112,631 in April 2014. <br /><br />The top five sources of tourist arrivals in March 2014 were India, UK, Germany, China and Russia, accounting for about 44 percent of total tourist arrivals during the month. <br /><br />Since the end of a three decade war in 2009 Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals have boomed reaching over 1.2 million last year and attracting earnings of 1.7 billion US dollars, according to the Central Bank. <br /><br />The tropical island is aiming to attract 2.5 million arrivals by 2016, buoyed by fast increasing numbers from China. <br /><br />Only 27,627 Chinese tourists arrived in Sri Lanka in 2012, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) but the numbers nearly doubled to 54,288 last year. China is now the third largest source of tourists for Sri Lanka. <br /><br />In January 2014 Chinese arrivals grew a staggering 119.2 percent increase with the arrival of 21,098 travelers in the first two months of the year. <br /><br />March proved to be much the same with China recording nearly three times the arrivals rate of last year jumping from 3,328 in 2013 to 10,779 this year. <br /><br />China has now become the third highest source of tourists for Sri Lanka behind India and UK as well as being the fastest growing market. <br /><br />This is largely due to massive advertising campaigns launched in China by the Sri Lankan government and greater engagement with Chinese media. <br /><br />In total 421,501 arrivals have been recorded so far, which is a 24.8 percent increase from the previous first quarter.<br /><br /><img alt="Original and unique global international news with a focus on travel and tourism" height="44" src="http://www.eturbonews.com/themes/etn_v2/images/logo.jpg" width="200" />

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Earnings from Sri Lanka's booming tourism industry jumped 26.2% in March and April to 192.2 million US dollars, th...

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  Posted at   9:30 PM  | news | 0 comments

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TwocBPjOe5w/U41kOIgnygI/AAAAAAAAGGk/Kz4emRuvKvc/s1600/Sri+Lanka's+tourism+earnings+jump+26.2+percent+in+March,+April.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>COLOMBO, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Earnings from Sri Lanka's booming tourism industry jumped 26.2 percent in March and April to 192.2 million U.S. dollars, the Central Bank said on Monday.<br /><br />Releasing its external performance report the Central Bank noted earnings had increasing an impressive 49.8 percent from the same period last year. <br /><br />Tourist arrivals grew at a rate of 39.5 per cent, year-on-year to 112,631 in April 2014. <br /><br />The top five sources of tourist arrivals in March 2014 were India, UK, Germany, China and Russia, accounting for about 44 percent of total tourist arrivals during the month. <br /><br />Since the end of a three decade war in 2009 Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals have boomed reaching over 1.2 million last year and attracting earnings of 1.7 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Central Bank. <br /><br />The tropical island is aiming to attract 2.5 million arrivals by 2016, buoyed by fast increasing numbers from China. <br /><br />Only 27,627 Chinese tourists arrived in Sri Lanka in 2012, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) but the numbers nearly doubled to 54,288 last year. China is now the third largest source of tourists for Sri Lanka. <br /><br />In January 2014 Chinese arrivals grew a staggering 119.2 percent increase with the arrival of 21,098 travelers in the first two months of the year. <br /><br />March proved to be much the same with China recording nearly three times the arrivals rate of last year jumping from 3,328 in 2013 to 10,779 this year. <br /><br />China has now become the third highest source of tourists for Sri Lanka behind India and UK as well as being the fastest growing market. <br /><br />This is largely due to massive advertising campaigns launched in China by the Sri Lankan government and greater engagement with Chinese media. <br /><br />In total 421,501 arrivals have been recorded so far, which is a 24.8 percent increase from the previous first quarter.

COLOMBO, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Earnings from Sri Lanka's booming tourism industry jumped 26.2 percent in March and April to 192.2 million U...

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  Posted at   11:30 PM  | news | 0 comments

<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Vesak is the main Buddhist religious festival in Sri Lanka. During this time, people celebrate the triple anniversary of Lord Buddha - his birth, his attaining of Enlightenment and his passing away into Nirvana.<br />Also known as the Buddhist Festival of Light, colorful bamboo framed lanterns adorn the interior of every home and incredible luminous displays decorate the streets of most towns. Visit Bhauddoloka Mawatha, the main street in Colombo, to catch this glowing spectacle in full glory.<br />Vesak marks the first month of the Buddhist Calendar. This is a day spent in reflective prayer as people cease wordly pursuits and engage themselves in religious activities. Devotees Buddhists pray in temples from dawn until the dusk. As the sun sets, devotees partake in processions and return to the temples in the evening to hear monks read stories from sacred texts.<br />Stalls on the roadside distribute free refreshments to passers-by and there are some fantastic mime and street theatre performances, staged on tall platforms near temples in cities and towns throughout the country.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><img alt="" height="300" src="http://srilanka.travel/image/data/new%20events/vesak%20(2).jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="450" /></div>

Vesak is the main Buddhist religious festival in Sri Lanka. During this time, people celebrate the triple anniversary of Lord Buddha - his b...

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  Posted at   6:41 PM  | upcomingevent | 0 comments

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/index.php?route=event/upcoming&event=101" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rVcqaI8sqC0/U3ORxsUCUMI/AAAAAAAAFTc/j-gk5Aox0HM/s1600/INTRADEXPOandArogyaExhibition+2014.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>INTRAD EXPO</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Organized by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Ministry of Traditional Industries & SME Development, INTRAD EXPO-2014 will be held on 16th, 17th and 18th May 2014 at the BMICH.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The three day Mega Exhibition will include a vast representation of various stake holders in Agriculture, Banking, Construction and Engineering, Educational Services, Environmental Services, Food Processing, ICT, Insurance, Light Engineering, Manufacturing, Plantations, Power and Energy, Tourism and Transport, providing an ideal platform for new investment opportunities and exchange of ideas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Arogya 2014</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Organised by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Arogya 2014 will be held on 16th, 17th and 18th May 2014 at the BMICH.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The exhibition will include the participation of complete range of medical specialties, imaging and diagnostics, rehabilitation, medical equipment and devices, disposables, pharmaceuticals, emergency management, laboratory, IT and other support services in Healthcare. It would also provide a platform to promote the high standards of Sri Lankan health care system and its future potentials to investors, professionals and stakeholders.</div>

INTRAD EXPO Organized by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Ministr...

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  Posted at   8:55 AM  | upcomingevent | 0 comments

<br /><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="212" src="http://srilanka.travel/image/data/New%20items%20news/Sancharaka%20Udawa_14.jpg" width="320" /></div><br /><br />The Press launch of Sancharaka Udawa 2014 was held on yesterday 12th May 2014 at Monara Restaurant of Sri Lanka Tourism & Hotel Mgmt. Institute, with the participation of many industry members, local media and travel industry stake holders. The head table of the press conference was represented by Dr. D.S. Jayaweera – Director General, Sri Lanka Tourism, Mr. Rumy Jauffer - Managing Director, Sri Lanka Tourism, Mr. Mahen Kariyawasam -SAITO President, Mr. Harith Perera- SLAITO, Mr. Ziyan Ameen- President SLAPCEO, and Mr. Nilmin Nanayakkara – Immediate Past President SLAITO.<br /><br />Sancharaka Udawa 2014 exhibition & convention is an important annual event for all stakeholders engaged in the tourism industry. Be it a hotel of different size or scale, a services provider of different thatcher, or a supplier with diversity the Sancharaka Udawa 2014 is an opportunity, which house their needs and solutions under one roof.<br /><br />Better than before, this year’s event held for the 4th consecutive year on 27th and 28th of June 2014 at the Sri Lanka Exhibition & Convention Centre. It will consist over 200 stalls and a special pavilion of outbound tourism service providers. Sancharaka Udawa 2014 is organized by Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) together with Sri Lanka Tourism to bring together a wide network of personnel across the industry. It is the only gathering of this nature in Sri Lanka - since its inception in 2011.<br /><br />Concurrently the general membership of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound tour Operators (SLAITO) will hold their Special General Meeting on 27th June 2014 at 9.00 am at the same venue. This will ensure the attendance of key players in the Tourism Industry at Sancharaka Udawa 2014.<br /><img height="265" src="http://srilanka.travel/image/data/New%20items%20news/Sancharaka%20Udawa_1.jpg" width="400" /><img height="265" src="http://srilanka.travel/image/data/New%20items%20news/Sancharaka%20Udawa_12.jpg" width="400" />

The Press launch of Sancharaka Udawa 2014 was held on yesterday 12th May 2014 at Monara Restaurant of Sri Lanka Tourism & Hotel Mgmt. In...

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  Posted at   8:41 AM  | news | 0 comments

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7lFq-qdcq-8/U3BtTGEcITI/AAAAAAAAFKs/7pgZQO_7STI/s1600/Sancharaka+Udawa+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7lFq-qdcq-8/U3BtTGEcITI/AAAAAAAAFKs/7pgZQO_7STI/s1600/Sancharaka+Udawa+2014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />

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  Posted at   11:42 PM  | upcomingevent | 0 comments

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Vesak is the main Buddhist religious festival in Sri Lanka. During this time, people celebrate the triple anniversary of Lord Buddha - his birth, his attaining of Enlightenment and his passing away into Nirvana.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Also known as the Buddhist Festival of Light, colorful bamboo framed lanterns adorn the interior of every home and incredible luminous displays decorate the streets of most towns. Visit Bhauddoloka Mawatha, the main street in Colombo, to catch this glowing spectacle in full glory.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Vesak marks the first month of the Buddhist Calendar. This is a day spent in reflective prayer as people cease wordly pursuits and engage themselves in religious activities. Devotees Buddhists pray in temples from dawn until the dusk. As the sun sets, devotees partake in processions and return to the temples in the evening to hear monks read stories from sacred texts.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Stalls on the roadside distribute free refreshments to passers-by and there are some fantastic mime and street theatre performances, staged on tall platforms near temples in cities and towns throughout the country.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EuEzzK67yP0/U3BrQ_wYCnI/AAAAAAAAFKg/ppfr2EQpzdc/s1600/vesak+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EuEzzK67yP0/U3BrQ_wYCnI/AAAAAAAAFKg/ppfr2EQpzdc/s1600/vesak+(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>

Vesak is the main Buddhist religious festival in Sri Lanka. During this time, people celebrate the triple anniversary of Lord Buddha - his b...

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  Posted at   11:39 PM  | upcomingevent | 0 comments

<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau participated for the 48th edition of the world's largest travel trade show, International Travel Brochure (ITB) 2014 at Messe Berlin fairground from 03rd to 09th March 2014 in Berlin-Germany. Representing Sri Lanka, 120 representatives from top 60 travel and tourism agencies and hotel sector took part in this event, making this event to be the one with the largest number of participants ever from Sri Lanka. At the ITB 2014 travel trade show 10,147 tourism companies from 189 countries represented on a display area covering 160,000 square meters. The Sri Lanka delegation to Berlin is led by the Director General of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Dr. D.S. Jayaweera and The Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Germany, H.E. Mr. Sarath Kongahage with the officials from both institutes.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sri Lanka Tourism Stall</b></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), under the leadership of Hon. Basil Rajapaksa the Minister of Economic Development, has identified Germany as a key market among the traditional tourist markets of Sri Lanka, actions were taken to set up an attractive stall in the ITB, inclusive of all the tourism products related to the market of Germany. Accordingly this year Sri Lanka Tourism stall was specifically designed in order to showcase major attractions favored by German travelers. The tourism stall has given much focus on promoting Sri Lankan Ayurvedic products, Sri Lankan wildlife, beaches and heritage to the German tourists. The Sri Lanka stand was ceremoniously opened on 05th March with the participation of key industry stakeholders of Sri Lanka.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">The entrance to the Sri Lankan stand is displayed a replica of the ancient kingdom of Yapahuwa to highlight the ancient historical marvels of the country. Two life size elephants were places in the Sri Lankan stall to provide a feeling of the wildlife attractions available in Sri Lanka. A wide screen video wall had been setup in with images and videos of beaches to give a live feeling of being in the beaches of Sri Lanka. Ayurveda and indigenous medicine had been a key attraction of ITB stall of Sri Lanka where separate area was dedicated for spa treatments and giving visitors the opportunity to experience various treatments at this section. A traditional mask maker from Aluthgama did mask carving demonstrations at the stall while conducting sessions of mask painting to the visitors who came there. Ceylon tea was served throughout the ITB 2014 for visitors, through the Tea Bar places inside the Sri Lanka pavilion. Sri Lanka Tourism also specifally designed branded kit for all co- participants from Sri Lanka including a brochure providing guidance for the participation of Sri Lanka at ITB 2014, Dockets/ note books and a pens/Bags, T-shirt and a cap. With all these items in place Sri Lankan stall was able to attract many numbers with its unique design and experiences offered.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Start off Press Conference</b></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">The Sri Lankan press conference was held on 5th March 2014 attended by International journalists representing major travel and tourism publications. Speaking at the press conference Dr. D.S. Jayaweera –Director General of Sri Lanka Tourism stated to the media that “ Sri Lanka is aiming to generate a revenue in the excess of US$ 4.2 billion from the tourism industry by 2016. In addition the country hopes to attract 2.6 million tourist arrivals by 2016. Sri Lanka is already experiencing attractive number of visitors to the country and the annual growth rate of arrivals last year being 26.5% comparative to previous year. From Germany 85,470 travelers were received in 2013 recording 20% overall growth with the revenue generated from this segment being US$ 170 million. By 2016 the strategic development plan aims to attract 130,000 visitors from Germany in order to achieve the set target of 2.6 million tourists. He also remarked that the tourism industry of Sri Lanka will move to the top there foreign exchange earners for the country very soon.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Launch of Mega Taxi Advertising Campaign in Germany</b></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Subsequent to the press conference Sri Lanka Tourism launched a Taxi advertising campaign on 07th March 2014 at Messe Berlin fairground. The taxi advertising campaign was launched by H.E. Sarath Kongahage – Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Berlin and Dr.D.S. Jayaweera – Director General of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority with the participation key decision makers representing travel agencies, tour operators and hotel sector of Sri Lanka who showcased for ITB Berlin 2014. Under this campaign 300 taxies were branded focusing on tourism attraction themes appealing to the German market such as Ayurveda, Wildlife, Beaches, Heritage and Culture. The campaign will run for a period of six consecutive months covering major cities in Germany such as Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Frankfurt etc . The Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Germany, Sarath Kongahage highlighted that this is the first time ever a Taxi campaign of this magnitude was used for promotions in Germany.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">The Taxi campaign is aimed to attract high-end tourists to the country by reaching the key cities in Germany where the frequency of spotting these advertisements is quite high. Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Mr. Bashwara Gunarathna has said that SLTPB is planning to launch a bus advertising campaign and an underground advertising campaign in Germany further to the newly launched Taxi advertising campaign. SLTPB has initiated the “Global Mega Promotional Campaign” this year under the guidance of The Ministry of Economic Development of Sri Lanka with the intention of increasing tourist arrivals from European region. The campaign will cover other European countries such as France, UK in the upcoming months of this year.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, the SLTPB also took steps to arrange Business Meetings, exclusive media interviews, investment meetings during the ITB Berlin 2014.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">This year's ITB Berlin reported a four per cent rise in trade visitors and an increase in business volume, which Messe Berlin. Around 5,700 accredited journalists from 81 countries and some 300 bloggers from 25 countries reported on events at ITB Berlin this year. Politicians and diplomats from Germany and abroad were present at the show. In addition to 125 foreign delegations, 97 ambassadors from around the world, 44 ministers from abroad foreign a numerous undersecretaries were also present. Vice Chancellor and Federal Economics and Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection Heiko Maas and Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit came to find out what the travel industry had to offer. SLTPB anticipates a turnout of around 130,000 tourists from Germany to visit Sri Lanka this year. In 2016, the government’s ambition to achieve 2.5 million tourist arrivals, the total expectation of tourists from Germany will amount to be 200,000.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yluQu1cMABE/U3BohDjQrDI/AAAAAAAAFKE/InDREqHmHAE/s1600/ITB_2014_Germany_22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yluQu1cMABE/U3BohDjQrDI/AAAAAAAAFKE/InDREqHmHAE/s1600/ITB_2014_Germany_22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EmRTCLJXDQI/U3BosrQpP_I/AAAAAAAAFKM/vQsrB2J6TTk/s1600/ITB_2014_Germany_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EmRTCLJXDQI/U3BosrQpP_I/AAAAAAAAFKM/vQsrB2J6TTk/s1600/ITB_2014_Germany_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--SmLK8geYqs/U3Bosg4_KlI/AAAAAAAAFKQ/-vqFoZuVCQw/s1600/ITB_2014_Germany_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--SmLK8geYqs/U3Bosg4_KlI/AAAAAAAAFKQ/-vqFoZuVCQw/s1600/ITB_2014_Germany_2.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau participated for the 48th edition of the world's largest travel trade show, International Travel Broc...

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  Posted at   11:23 PM  | | 0 comments

<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">The latest issues of leading Chinese newspapers namely “China Tourism News” and “Oriental Morning Post” have heavily endorsed Sri Lanka Tourism promotional strategy and campaigns being carried out in Beijing and Shanghai over several months period starting from last year. The cover story of “China Tourism News” states that “Sri Lanka has seen a rapid growth in number of Chinese Tourists visiting Sri Lanka” and the Oriental Morning Post article says ‘Sri Lanka the Fascinating country causing a climax in Shanghai”</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">The Full articles as appeared in the newspapers are inserted below:</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Article 01 : </b>Rapid Growth in number of the Chinese Tourists visit Sri Lanka – China Tourism News – Published on 28th February 2014</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Article 02 : </b>Sri Lanka the Fascinating country causing a climax in Shanghai - Oriental Morning Post - Published on 7th March 2014</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Rapid growth in number of the Chinese tourists visit Sri Lanka</b> </span><br />- China Tourism News February 28th 2014 (Friday)</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">(Reporter: Wu Wei)</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">According to the information of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, in January 2014, a total of 146,000 tourists visited Sri Lanka. It was a growth of 32.6 % on year to year basis. The Chinese tourist arrival in Sri Lanka during the same period was 10,780 and recorded a growth of 223.9 % in comparison to January 2013. China is the top most source of tourists’ arrival in Sri Lanka in January 2014.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Official of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau said that this result is inseparable with the vigorous promotional drive carried out in the Chinese market and the creative activities in 2013. It is understood that since September 2013, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau together with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the People Republic of China in succession start the advertisement on 200 public buses in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu cities, which last for 6 months. Among them, Beijing has 50 double decker buses. Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu have 50 normal buses each. That is comprehensive coverage of large trunk road, Universities, Campuses and Central business district. The bus advertisement is a mobile outdoor media advertisement method to show the rich tourism resources of Sri Lanka in polyhedral solid ways. The reporter visited a number of travel agencies and find out that Sri Lanka becomes a black horse in the outbound travel market in the Spring Festival holiday this year. And the sales are very popular. Chartered tourist products are fully booked before two months of the holiday. Many tourists are just after seeing the bus advertisements further understanding this beautiful tropical country.</div>

The latest issues of leading Chinese newspapers namely “China Tourism News” and “Oriental Morning Post” have heavily endorsed Sri Lanka Tour...

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  Posted at   11:19 PM  | | 0 comments

<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">The growing demand from incentive Travelers in the MICE tourism segment had increased quite sharply over the past years who are traveling mainly for the purpose business and investment. Sri Lanka Tourism has identified MICE segment as a key driver of tourism growth and a contributor for overall economic development of Sri Lanka. As a result of the <b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Wonder of Asia</i></b> promotional campaign initiated by Ministry of Economic Development and Sri Lanka Tourism in Europe, Sri Lankan Travel agents have been receiving many up market incentive groups to Sri Lanka during the recent past. One of Sri Lanka’s leading travel agents <b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Connaisance De Ceylon</i></b> received a group of 130 pax incentive group from Toulouse – France on 26th March which is latest addition to the group incentive travelers visiting the country.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">The group consisted of high end tourists from France representing different segments and mainly looking for investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. Due to the new infrastructure developments in the country especially in the areas of domestic air travel, the group took flight using MI 17 helicopters of Heli Tours. A fleet of 06 helicopters carried the incentive group for sightseeing tour from Kandy to down south. The Helitours Pvt Ltd unveiled its newest fleet of helicopters recently which are highly sophisticated for tourist travel.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">The groups was highly impressed with the novel experience of having the opportunity to take a birds eye view of Sri Lanka’s luscious greenery and landscape from skies above. They were in full of praise on the latest developments taken place in Sri Lanka for high end tourist travelers such as what they experienced travelling by helicopters. Chairman of Connaisance De Ceylon Mr. Chandra Wickramasinhe played a pivotal role in bringing down and organizing the innovative experience offered to the insentive group from France.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DO6p6FCXXZU/U3BlLEryawI/AAAAAAAAFJo/gCv4BlBdxG0/s1600/Insentive_Travel_2014_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DO6p6FCXXZU/U3BlLEryawI/AAAAAAAAFJo/gCv4BlBdxG0/s1600/Insentive_Travel_2014_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-69RgW4pXIDU/U3BlMo3slkI/AAAAAAAAFJw/BFe9WCs1TBQ/s1600/Insentive_Travel_2014_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-69RgW4pXIDU/U3BlMo3slkI/AAAAAAAAFJw/BFe9WCs1TBQ/s1600/Insentive_Travel_2014_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mVWLnhHEkBo/U3BlNVpo38I/AAAAAAAAFJ4/sOjTH8PfAtk/s1600/Insentive_Travel_2014_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mVWLnhHEkBo/U3BlNVpo38I/AAAAAAAAFJ4/sOjTH8PfAtk/s1600/Insentive_Travel_2014_3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>

The growing demand from incentive Travelers in the MICE tourism segment had increased quite sharply over the past years who are traveling ma...

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  Posted at   11:08 PM  | news | 0 comments