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Sri Lanka Tourist Board proposes a new Tourism Plan
With a view to increasing by 10% the annual growth rate of the tourist
industry during the period 2004 to 2010, the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) has
proposed a new Tourism Plan. “The Sri Lanka Tourist Board’s Plan 2005”
will encourage all stakeholders of the industry and the people to drive tourism
development and its returns.
The SLTB’s road map has been strengthened by the momentous progress of the
tourist arrivals in the last nine months. On average tourist spending has
increased from US $ 64 to US $ 70 and the number of tourist arrivals has
increased from 338,050 to 375,630- an increase of 11 % over the comparable
period in 2003. It is expected to surpass the target arrivals of 550,000 by the
end of this year and the current room occupation is 74%.
Under the new plan, it is expected that tourist arrivals will reach the
figure of 1 million by 2010 and average spending to be in the region of US $
155. Earning are expected to be around US $ 1,727 million, which will be four
times the current level of foreign exchange earned from the industry.
Some of the prominent points of this new initiatives are :
- Acquiring and developing new Tourism Development Areas (TDAs) including
the development of Passikudah, Mundal-Kalpitiya, Kandy, Sigiriya, Arugam Bay
and Dedduwa as resort properties as well the repositioning of the prime
tourist resort in Bentota.
- Doubling the current intake of the Board’s Hotel School in 2005 and
setting up additional satellite schools.
- Creating number of world class events in 2005 and growing them; the Sri
Lanka WOMAD Festival of Drums in March, and International Food Festival in
October, a global fashion TV, the Festival of Visual arts, and Vesak koodu
(Lanterns) celebration in May, novel Hot Balloon, an innovation to Sri
Lanka.
- Developing new products for wellness tourism, traditional medicine such as
ayurveda and spa.
E-mail : newseditor@sarkaritel.com
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