Dec-2009
Bentota National Holiday Resort Celebrates 40 Years
One of the first major initiatives of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, then known as the Ceylon Tourist Board, upon its formulation in 1968 was to plan and develop a National Holiday Resort in Bentota. The Holiday Resort, which was officially opened on December 19th, 1969 by Honorable J.R. Jayawardane, Minister of State, was identified in the first 10-Year Tourism Master Plan as a means to stimulate and motivate private sector investment in tourism.
Today, the resort comprises of 1-star to 5-star hotels, restaurants, telecommunication centers, banks, shops, transport services, police station, and a center for water activities. It is one of the most visited and enjoyable areas in Sri Lanka for international and domestic tourists. In addition, a central waste water and sewerage treatment plan was set up in the late 1990s as a common facility for all hoteliers in Bentota – the first time for this communal partnership. The Bentota National Holiday Resort is the best example in Sri Lanka of how well-planned tourism is successful and sustainable, creating the least negative impact in the area and bringing together all stakeholders.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Resort, the SLTDA held a grand ceremony from the 18th-20th of December, 2009. The three-day event included exhibitions of wild-life photographs, traditional handi-crafts, local cuisine, and flora and fauna; competitions in art, cycling, kite flying etc.; and, the opening of the Fishing Village and launching of local tourism initiatives such as signage development, life saving demonstrations, wind surfing and jet skiing, and tree planting.
The Passikudah Resort Development Project has piqued the interest of many investors. However, in order to avoid any haphazard development, the SLTDA deemed it necessary to prepare a Master Plan for the Resort, ensuring the construction of a state of the art resort as well as the protection and preservation of the natural resource base. Furthermore, the SLTDA has requested developers to submit architectural drawings of their respective hotels by December 31st, 2009. Included in the Master Plan is the identification of areas for comfort facilities, such as wash rooms and changing areas, for domestic visitors.
Funds for the development of these facilities have been provided by the Asian Development Bank. The construction of the comfort areas will be a priority for the SLTDA. There facilities are expected to be in operation by June 2010.
Progress Update – Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort Project
The Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort Project (KITRP) is successfully moving forward. A few highlights:
The SLTDA acquired 10 of the 14 islands comprising Kalpitiya. This includes Vellai I, Vellai II, Vellai III, Ippantivu, Eramativu, Kakativu, Periya Arachchial, Sinna Arachchial, Sinna Eramativu, and Eramativu West.
SLTDA completed clearing 15km of internal roads to facilitate access for investors and tourists. Discussions have also been held with the Ceylon Electricity Board to provide 15MW to the Dutch Bay Islands from Thoradiya to Mohottuwarama. The laying of a marine cable under the Dutch Bay Lagoon bed is also being considered.
As expected, arrivals to Kalpitiya are increasing, partly due to the start of the peak season (December – March). Areas and attractions to visit include Kandakuliya and Ippantivu Island for dolphin watching, coral bar reef 2km west of Uchchamunai Island, Old Dutch Fort, the Kalpitiya cemetery, and the abandoned Portuguese Church on Dutch Bay Island. Although glass bottom boats are unavailable for visits to the bar reefs, a few passenger boats are being utilized, with the provision of life jackets, by the local fishing community. Accommodations available include Kalpitiya Rest House, Alankaudu Beach Resort, and the Ethalai Thaiya Hotel; Setthuwadi Resort and Divyaa Resort will commence operations in the near future.
Requests for future investments in the area are also growing. A new hotel project with an envisaged value of US$500,000/- will be undertaken by a German investor and Sri Lankan counterpart. A 5* hotel project with a value of Rs. 1,265 million has also been submitted by a Kuwaiti company.
We are sure to see more progress in the New Year.
Commissioner for Tourism Administration
The Voluntary Ombudsman System is a service provided by the Ministry of Tourism to solve issues, complaints, injustices, and any unfair treatments pertaining to the tourism sector, especially for foreign visitors. Mr. B.L.K. Wimalachandra, former Judge of the Court of Appeal, Sri Lanka, was appointed as the Commissioner for Tourism Administration in 2008.
Generally, a complaint made against any institution within the Ministry of Tourism or any tourism provider by domestic and foreign travelers or tourist officers can be sent directly to the Commissioner via email or post. The Commissioner, after reviewing the case, will submit a report to the Minster with his recommendations, including amount for compensation if the complainant has no legal remedies.
This system has proved successful. The main purpose of appointing an Ombudsman for the tourism sector was to establish an effective administrative mechanism to speedily handle any injustices, unfair treatments or practices, failures to perform statutory obligations, etc. by tourism service providers or officers of the SLTDA, SLTPB, SLCB or SLITHM to their clients, specifically during a time of rapid tourism expansion and development. Reports by the Commissioner show that a great many cases of injustice have been resolved effectively through the recommendations made by the Commissioner.
The Commissioner for Tourism Administration may be contacted as follows:
Justice B. L. K. Wimalachandra
Former Judge of the Court of Appeal
Ministry of Tourism
No. 64, Galle Road
Colombo 03
Tel: 0094 11 2384810
Email: complaints@srilanka.travel or sumudusw@yahoo.com
Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka has increased over the past few months; in June by 8.1%, in August 34.3%, and in October 7.0%. Requests to invest in tourism projects have also increased tremendously. H.E. the President has declared 2011 the “Visit Sri Lanka Year” and set a target of 2.5 million tourist arrivals by 2016.
With this in mind, the Board of Management of the SLTDA decided to prepare a 10-year Tourism Master Plan (2011-2020) to ensure the preservation of Sri Lanka’s resources while meeting the needs of tourists. The Master Plan will identify tourist generating markets, demand for accessibility, and diverse types of tourism product development and human resource development.
As the first step, the UNWTO assisted the SLTDA in preparing the terms of reference for a consultant to undertake the 10-year plan. Subsequently, Mr. John Yacoumis, consultant for UNWTO, was appointed and from November 16th – 26th undertook the necessary field work in Sri Lanka, which included discussions with Government and private sector individuals. In addition, Dr. H. Varma, Director/Development Assistant - UNWTO, was also in Sri Lanka (November 17th – 19th) to discuss relevant matters with the Ministry of Tourism, External Resources Department, and the UNDP.
Best wishes from SLTDA
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