The island of Sri Lanka may be the shape of a teardrop but its people are definitely not cry babies.
The country has seen its fair share of trouble. The Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 smashed into its coasts, and it was riven with ongoing unrest until the conflict with the rebel Tamil Tigers finally ceased in 2009. But the people of this Indian Ocean island have never ceased welcoming the holidaymakers who have been attracted to its tourist draws.
So now the calm after the storm has come, it’s not too surprising that Sri Lanka has set its sights on some pretty ambitious growth. Last year saw 650,000 tourist arrivals. By 2016, the island hopes to welcome 2.5 million – nearly four times the amount.And while a large portion of these visitors will hail from South Asia and the Far East, Sanjika Perera, director of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), says the government hopes to retain the same ratio of UK visitors, which – at the current level of 20% – would see half a million Brits descend on the country each year.
It’s quick growth, but then Sri Lanka has a lot to offer tourists. Its beaches are lapped by the Indian Ocean, and with two monsoons hitting different parts of the island, almost any time of the year is a good time to visit somewhere in Sri Lanka. But it has more than just sunshine. Visitors can see Buddhist temples and ancient ruined cities, wander through tea plantations and rainforests, and spot wildlife including elephants and blue whales.
It’s also good value in terms of package costs and in resort. The country picked up the top spot in the Post Office Travel Money Holiday Costs Barometer for the second year running, having toppled Thailand in 2010. Falling costs in Sri Lanka and rising costs in Thailand made the former, according to the Post Office, 38% cheaper than the latter this year.
However, there will be one new cost for British visitors to shoulder. From January, tourists will have to pay $20 for a visa. Children under 12 will be exempt, and tourists transiting the destination within 48 hours will also not be charged.
A place to stay
Before these millions of tourists descend there is a fair bit of work to do.
Visitor numbers – having grown by 10% between 2009 and 2010 – almost stalled this year, rising just 1%, and this was due at least in part to a lack of hotel rooms. The target is to double capacity to 45,000 rooms by 2016. Work has already begun to expand the destination’s bed bank, with large international hotel chains such as Starwood, Marriott, Six Senses and Shangri-La planning projects in the pipeline, with the last opening two hotels: a 300-key city resort in Hambantota on the south coast in 2013, and a 500-key luxury hotel in the capital, Colombo, in early 2014.
Certain areas of the western and eastern coastal belts, including Trincomalee, Hambantota and Kalpitiya, have been earmarked as tourist zones. James Jayasundera, founder of luxury specialist operator Ampersand Travel, says that islands in Kalpitiya will mirror the resorts of the Maldives with overwater villas and activities including deep-sea fishing and whale and dolphin watching.
At World Travel Market last month Sri Lanka Tourism launched a Home Stay and Bungalow programme. “New rooms, which are under construction, will take another two years to come to market,” said Dr Nalaka Godahewa, Sri Lanka Tourism chairman. “Homestays are a different approach to provide clean, comfortable and affordable supplementary accommodation to tourists. They will have the opportunity of an engaging experience of customs, traditions, and authentic cuisine while staying with the local host.” Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority will provide training for all owners. Find out more at Srilankanhomestay.com
Operators are reporting strong sales to the destination for next year and have responded by expanding their programmes.Kuoni has seen its tours and beach holidays selling well, and is exclusively featuring the newly-opened Jetwing Sea in Negombo. Formerly known as the Jetwing Seashells, the hotel has been fully modernised and all 83 rooms have modern decor, rain showers and sea views.
Cosmos Distant Dreams brochure will launch on December 15 with a significantly expanded Sri Lanka programme. There are more properties in the Galle area on the south coast, including the five-star Jetwing Lighthouse, the four-star boutique Era Beach, and the three-star Tangalle Bay. The luxury range has also grown, with Jetwing Blue and Royal Palms among the new inclusions.
The tour portfolio has doubled to include The Cultural Triangle, a three-night experience staying at the Sigiriya Hotel, and Discover Classic Ceylon, a nine-night trip mixing up the Splendours of Ceylon and Wild & Scenic itineraries at a more leisurely pace.Virgin Holidays has added two hotels to its offering; the 119-room, sleek, contemporary, four-star Jetwing Blue in Negombo, and three-star Tangerine Beach Hotel in Kalutara, a 116-room property that fuses traditional Sri Lankan design with modern touches.
At the luxury end of the market, tailor-made specialist Ampersand Travel has two new itineraries for families, one to suit those travelling in the British winter and one for summer. Cheeky Monkeys, Blue Whales and King Coconuts is a 17-day, wildlife-focused itinerary starting from £2,600 and If Tarzan Went to Sri Lanka is a massive 23-day trip starting from £3,950 and giving kids the opportunity to sleep in mud huts and tree houses.
Planes, trains and automobiles
The island’s second international airport is due to open at Hambantota on the south coast in December 2012. There’s no news yet about who will fly the route.
The rather time-consuming nature of journeying between sights on this relatively small island has long been a tourist gripe, but getting around is becoming significantly easier.
A highway between Colombo and Galle, on the island’s south coast, opened last month. The journey between the two would previously have taken more than four and a half hours, but on the new road will take less than two.
Plus, SriLankan Airlines is now flying scheduled air taxi services between popular tourist destinations in the south and the hill country. A new link to Dambulla will bring the ancient cities closer to the popular beach resorts of the south and west coasts.
