Kalpitiya Tourism Zone lease agreements - Two hotels for Rs 3.9 billion
by Harshini Perera
The land leasing agreements of two projects under the Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort program will be signed between investors and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority this week.
The investment value of these projects will be Rs 1.2 billion and Rs 1.7 billion respectively.
Eight projects will be implemented under the Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort program.
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority will provide the land for these projects under leasing agreements. It is expected that these leasing agreements will generate Rs 80 million revenue to the Government. These projects are given on 30 years lease and the revenue includes 30 years lease as well as the monthly rental of Rs 2800 per perch for a month, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Additional Project Director, Tissa Sooriyagoda said.
“Both these new projects are set up to cater to the needs of the tourists with five star facilities and the room rate will be over US $ 250,” he said.
The hotels will be constructed in an environmental friendly manner in the Kalpitiya zone. It is expected to have around one million tourists and over 5000 hotel rooms in Kalpitiya after the completion of the Integrated Tourism Resort program.
The tourism industry will benefit in two ways by the development of the tourist resorts in Kalpitiya. It is by increasing the number of stays and the average spending of tourists in Sri Lanka.
“We are in the process of constructing mockup rooms for the two projects. Mockup rooms are those that demonstrate the nature of the rooms after the construction of hotels. It is expected to start the projects by mid next month after the signing of agreements,” Sooriyagoda said.
Another project has received Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) clearance for a 200 roomed hotel in Kalpitiya.
Named as Dutch Bay Resort the investment has been directed from Bahrain. The project value is Rs 2 billion. It is expected to start construction on November 11 in 2011.
(Source: Daily News – 18th May, 2010)