Arugambay gears up for tourist influx

Ishara JAYAWARDANA

Put the sand, the surf, a picturesque setting and a luxurious hotel and what do you have? The ideal tourist destination; an ideal combination that will attract tourists to the pearl of the Indian Ocean – Sri Lanka! This project was started this year and at the end of this year, December, Arugambay hopes to complete the project. The entire cost of the hotel upto now is 123 million.

A hotel with three star facilities is under construction in Arugambay at this very moment with the approval of the Sri Lankan Tourism and Development Authority. In addition to building this hotel the Arugambay Famvir buy online australia Tours and Travels organization is functioning as a travel agency.

The building of a hotel is not the only plan marked by Arugambay Tours and Travels. They are planning on creating a Chamber of Tourism under the Company Act.

It is in the process now. There is no chamber of tourism up until now in Sri Lanka. There are nine chambers in the country but no tourism chamber.

This tourism chamber will be affiliated to the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Colombo.

Arugambay Tours and Travels, a travel agency which was started before the Tsunami of 2004 was started from Arugambay itself and the office was based in Colombo. After the Tsunami, they couldn’t do business and also because the situation in the country was not conducive for business.

The time has now come for the entire country to restart the business.

We have opened a head office in Colombo and also we are functioning an office in Arugambay. This is to promote tourism and development and the other relative industries.

So now the travel industry is beginning to boom and our duty is to give proper information to people who are coming here and to show them potential places that they can go and see.

People who have lack of information they don’t know where to go or what to see, Arugambay Travels and Tours Managing Director A.M. Jaufer said.

While acting as a mediator between the tourists and the hotels, Arugambay also acts as a catalyst when it comes to the development of the area.

We were doing well before the Tsunami and now with the country’s situation – President Rajapaksa has brought peace to the country – and now after the elections with the international community having good relations with Sri Lanka, lots of tourists will come here.

After the elections lots of local people are visiting the area. And in the East most of the hotels are enjoying 100 percent occupancy. We want to have good standards for hotels in the region so investors can be brought into these areas for investment, Jaufer said.

Since travelling by land is time-consuming air taxis are now being used. In other words, Domestic airlines. Arugambay, is operating the Deccan Aviation to bring tourists to eastern areas and they have been appointed as the sole agent for Deccan Aviation Limited. The Air Force also has a hand in this as well under the title Helitours.

Deccan Aviation has a helicopter presently and they have also purchased the eight seater aircraft that will probably be operational soon. These Air Taxis are operated by the Deccan Aviation and Air Force has their helicopters and aircrafts as well.

Now there is one political stand. Different people have different kinds of views. Now there is one view in the country under President Mahinda Rajapaksa. In Parliament there is a clear majority. Everyone is united. There is a oneness of opinion. Therefore the country can have a good development program. There is a good opportunity for regional economic development. People will listen to what the Government says, Jaufer said.

Jaufer also outlined a prevalent problem saying that most of the hotels are illegal hotels in the region. This is the time we must convey to the people that they have to get approval to build hotels.

Once they get approval the hoteliers will have more facilities; they can get a bank loan, they can get investors. Therefore this is a time when Government authorities can convey to the industry people that approval must be obtained. There must be standardization. The Government must assist these industry people.

Jaufer also expressed his views on the other industries that are hiding. For example there is milk. 35,000 litres go from Ampara to Ambewela. There are no facilities to collect milk from the cattle farm owners. There is wastage of milk there. Wood Apple here in Colombo – Wellawatte market is Rs 80, when you come to Thalamanvilla one kilo is Rs 50 When you go to Panama you get free woodapple.

Farmers in the region must be given proper guidance and information.

Awareness is important, Jaufer said.

Hoteliers are saying the beach belongs to them, fishermen are saying the beach belongs to them, tourists who come there, say the beach belongs to them and the Coast Conservation says it belongs to them.

The Government has to give proper awareness to hoteliers, and fisheries industry people. The fishermen have to be given instructions in a way that they can benefit from the industry. Then they will be happy.

For example they can take tourists into deep waters and they get some income through that. And they will keep the beach clean and assist the industry, Jaufer said.

Jaufer further urged the need to monitor INGOs giving an example of private land ownership. If an INGO puts up a building on the land of a private owner based on a three year agreement on INGO funds, then after three years the building goes to a private land owner, he said.

Chaaya Blu online competition

All creative and imaginative people – get out your pens and papers, laptops, Blackberries or whatever writing device you like to use, visitA?www.chaayahotels.com/flytotheblu and win a holiday you’ll never forget.

Chaaya Blu Trincomalee launches yet another dimension to its axiom, ‘Where great stories begin’, with a first of its kind ‘Fly to the Blu’ competition.

This very first four star quality resort on the East Coast which opened its doors on the May 15 now wants you to tell your own travel story and stand to win a never before offered prize for telling tales.

Having begun the story for you by penning the first few lines of your travel diary, Chaaya Blu then expects you to continue your own travel story, infusing as much imagination and creativity as you like.

It is this creative and exciting twist that may win two lucky storytellers a weekend for Two each inclusive of full board accommodation for three nights at the famed Chaaya Blu, flying all the way to Trincomalee and back to Colombo.

And since there’s no road trip involved, you get more time to spend at Chaaya Blu and enjoy a panoramic vista flying over our beautiful paradise isle while enjoying your just rewards of a fabulous win.

And Chaaya Blu also adds a blue whale excursion into the emerald hued deep blue seas to the winning package, signalling the beginning of another chapter of a great story (but that story is to be told another time!).

Chaaya Blu with its definitive retro architecture and fun interiors of denim, mosaic and tie and dye, a boardwalk that stretches out into the sea and a crab menu that’s simply infinite, has the picturesque panorama of the blue waves and pure white sands of Trincomalee as a backdrop to titillating the imagination.

The recent sightings of eighty foot Blue Whales just add more episodes to the beginnings of great stories at Chaaya Blu.

Now by weaving your perfect end to a travel story that has already begun, four people can literally Fly to the Blu for a holiday that can only instigate indelible memories.

So quick, one month is all you have to tell your tale and Fly to the Blu, to experience a holiday of a lifetime at Chaaya Blu Trincomalee.

Dubai International growth continues

Despite volcanic disruption :

The volcanic ash cloud that grounded flights around the world for six days last month had a minimal impact on growth at Dubai International as April passenger numbers rose 13.9 per cent from 3,289,037 to 3,745,016 and cargo volumes increased 19.6 percent from 149,169 tonnes to 178,357 tonnes versus the same period last year.

The year to date passenger traffic increased 18.7 per cent to 15,215,536, while cargo grew by 24.6 per cent to 715,628 tonnes compared to April 2009. To record double-digit growth during a month where over 500 flights were cancelled is impressive, Dubai Airports CEO, Paul Griffiths said. Its testament to the great job airlines did to clear the backlog after the skies opened up. And its a clear indication that our confidence in the continued growth at Dubai International is well placed.

Thailand focuses on medical tourism

Shipping Quibron-t
Visa fee waived :

Charumini DE SILVA in Thailand

Medical tourism in Thailand has much potential to expand as a new path of tourism. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has had discussions with private hospitals there to promote wellness spas in medical tourism.

Thailand is picking up in medical tourism. Doctors are attending regular medical research and have found many cures for various illnesses. The country also has a better variety of medicines.

Providing the best medical services to this segment of tourists is our main objective. We need to build a customer base to promote our service. By treating the tourists who need medical assistance in the finest manner, they will also provide publicity to medical tourism in Thailand as well. Many of the tourists are coming for medical tourism mainly due to that they promote it word to word. It is also much effective than any other way since they promote it with their personal experience.

TAT Executive Director Pongsathorn Kessasamil said Thailand introduced hospital tourism to Indonesia in March this year. Thailand is well equipped to compete in the medical tourism sector on par with any country. Another emerging trend is that many tourists are enthusiastic to have their wedding ceremony in Thailand and honeymoons too. They say that having the wedding ceremony here is much cost efficient that they like the romantic atmosphere in Thailand.

The demand for this category is mainly from South Asian and European countries.

Tourism generates a large sums of foreign exchange to the country. Due to the global financial downturn during last year, it had a direct impact on the tourism industry.

However, the industry has recovered faster than they thought. The Thai Government issued free tourist visas for all nationalities and that facilitated them to recover soon.

He said that they met all their targets and the number of tourist arrivals also rose after issuing free tourist visas.

An official of the Royal Thai Embassy said the Government is applying the free tourist visa issue scheme to promote tourism. The Thai Government is now issuing free tourist visas up to March 31, 2011.

He said issuing free tourist visas was an effective strategy to attract more tourists.

source:

http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/05/26/bus70.asp