Resources aplenty to promote tourism
by Harshini Perera
Compared to other countries Sri Lanka has a lot of resources to promote tourism in the region. There are less resorts in Sri Lanka compared to other countries such as the Maldives, said Sri Lanka Tourist Board, Director (Development), T. Suriyagoda at the Wayamba Investors and Exporters’ Forum on Monday at the Hotel Galadari.
He said that Wayamba is a unique province that has many opportunities for tourism. It has a natural beach in the Puttalam district and 14 islands circulating the Kalpitiya area including Battalangunduwa. The Kurunegala district plays a vital role in the improvement of the inland tourism sector.
At present there are a few hotels in the Kalpitiya area such as Alankuda, Taniya and Buuwala which is under construction.
Fourteen islands in the Kalpitiya Dutch Bay Region will be designed for a well planned tourism destination under the Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort Project (KITRP). The Sri Lanka Tourist Board has already received several proposals to increase tourist attractions in the area.
Among them the foundation will be laid for a large-scale tourist hotel in January with an investment of Rs. 1.5 billion. It is expected to build a 5,000 room hotel in Kalpitiya.
Two more hotels will be constructed in Kalpitiya soon,” he said. He said that the Government will provide lands after a tender process and the project has to be approved by the Coast Conservation Authority after a Strategic Environment Survey (SES) before its implementation.
(Source: Daily News – 16th December, 2009)