Sri Lanka to take steps to improve indoor air quality

Colombo, Feb 21 (newsin.asia) – Sri Lanka’s Central Environmental Authority will formulate a set of guidelines to improve indoor air quality in an effort to minimize health impacts caused by air pollutants, local media reported Thursday.

The Cabinet of Ministers last week approved a three year pilot project from 2019 to 2021 to conduct a base study and set guidelines to improve indoor air quality in schools, hospitals, public buildings, office buildings and houses covering the entire country, Central Environmental Authority Laboratory Services Deputy Director, Hiranthi Jansz said.

Jansz said household wood-burning stoves, use of incense sticks, poorly maintained office air-conditioned environments and vehicle emissions were frequent instances of indoor air pollution.

She pointed out that the World Health Organization had recommended preparing guidelines for indoor air quality.

“Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a growing concern. Most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. The quality of indoor air is important not only for occupants’ comfort but also for their health,” the ITI Environmental Technology said in a statement.

“Poor indoor air quality has been tied to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, trouble in concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Also, some specific diseases have been linked to specific air contaminants or indoor environments, like asthma with damp indoor environments,” the ITI added.

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150 Sri Lankans get Mahatma Gandhi scholarship

Colombo, February 21 (AIR): In Sri Lanka, 150 students from all 25 districts were awardedthe prestigious Mahatma Gandhi scholarships for study in India.

Sri Lankan education minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu gave the scholarships at a special ceremony held in Colombo on Wednesday.

This is the twelfth year in continuation that India has provided Mahatma Gandhi scholarships to bright students across Sri Lanka.

The minister appreciated the assistance provided by India including for the new trilingual school in Polonnaruwa and Saraswathy College in Kandy.

He also thanked India for providing training to teachers in Sri Lanka. High commissioner of India said that it was special occasion where 150 Sri Lankan students were awarded the Mahatma Gandhi scholarships while the world is celebrating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

He urged the students in Sri Lanka to connect with the youth of India and told them to take advantage of scientific and educational developments in India.

The high commissioner noted that India has recently launched a new Portal titled “Study in India” and more than 25000 seats are earmarked in Indian Institutions for foreign students.

He expressed hope that Sri Lankan youth would make full use of the opportunities in India.

(The featured image at the top is that of Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu addressing the scholarship holders)

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Sri Lanka to identify tourism development zones to boost arrivals

Colombo, Feb 21 (newsin.asia) – The Sri Lankan government will identify tourism development zones throughout the island which will concentrate on tourism related activities, a statement from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said here Thursday.

The SLTDA embarked on a mutual partnership with the the Urban Development Authority (UDA) to identify the zones which will be set up to avoid ad-hoc tourism development and to avoid undesirable activities.

The zones are likely to be set up in places such as the central highlands of Ella and Nuwara Eliya and Arugam Bay, Kalpitiya, Beruwala, Hikkaduwa and Pinnawala. These areas are popular tourist areas.

“Sri Lanka has been identified as one of the fast-emerging tourist destinations in the South Asian Region. The island’s biodiversity, long lasted culture, historic monuments, exotic beaches, and evergreen environment can be identified as the key attractions for international tourists,” the SLTDA said in the statement.

“However, with the increased tourist arrivals various tourism related or associated activities are mushrooming in around popular tourist destinations. Most of these activities are developed in an irresponsible manner in the absence of proper development guidelines in existing and emerging tourism hubs,” the SLTDA added.

Such developments put invaluable cultural and natural assets at severe risk of degradation. At the same time, there are other locations, of which the potentials have yet to be properly explored for the development of tourism-related activities, the SLTDA further said.

Since the end of the island’s 30 year civil conflict between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels, which ended in May 2009, Sri Lanka has emerged as one of the leading travel destinations in the world.

Last year, Sri Lanka received 2.3 million tourists while this year it is aiming to welcome 3 million tourists.

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Sri Lanka the cynosure at Thai Travel Fair

The 2019 edition of the Thai International Travel Fair was held in Bangkok, Thailand last week. The inauguration was held at the Bangkok Convention Center at Central World Bangkok followed by a gala dinner at Centara Grand. The event was attended by over 500 tourism stakeholders from around the world including Sri Lanka.

The Chief Guest at the inauguration was the Tourism Minister of Thailand while the Guest of Honour was the Tourism Minister of Sri Lanka, John Amaratunga who received an enthusiastic welcome from the capacity crowd that was present.

Later on Minister Amaratunga declared opened the Sri Lanka Booth, which was the cynosure at the travel fair. Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau made use of the opportunity to launch a promotional microsite highlighting the Buddhist trail in Sri Lanka. The microsite consists of the main Buddhist tourism attractions in the country, meditation centres and facilities available to learn Buddhism in Sri Lanka. 

The microsite was launched by Minister Amaratunga along with Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Thailand, Kshenuka Seneviratne, President of the Thai Travel Agents Association, Thanaphon Cheewarattanaporn and Chairman, Tourism Advisory Committee, Harry Jayawardena.

Meanwhile Minister Amaratunga and the Sri Lankan delegation met President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, Vichat Prakobgosol on the sidelines of the Travel Fair.

The two parties discussed ways and means of increasing the number of arrivals to Sri Lanka from Thailand. Thai travel agents emphasised that relaxation of visa requirements will help increase arrivals. The Thai travel agents pointed out that outbound traffic from Thailand to Japan increased by over one million when Japan granted visa on arrival to Thai nationals.

Launch of Buddhist Trail micro website

Minister John Amaratunga speaking at the launch of Buddhist trail

Launch of the Sri Lanka booth

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Bosnia calls for greater cooperation in tourism with Sri Lanka

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Herzegovina is firmly placing itself on the map in global tourism markets, leaving behind its conflict-ridden past. The country, which maintains high standards in health and education fields, is projected to have the third highest tourism growth rate in the world and is considered one of the fastest growing economies in the region. With longstanding relations with Sri Lanka, Bosnia and Herzegovina Ambassador Dr. Sabit Subasic during a recent visit to Sri Lanka speaking to Daily FT called for improved trade relations focusing on tourism, sharing of resources and knowledge for promotion and exchanges between the two countries. Following are excerpts: 

According to World Tourism Organization, Bosnia is one of the fast-growing destinations in the world. We are third fastest growing tourism destination in the world. I know that tourism in Sri Lanka is booming and it should be improving much more. I think we should have more cooperation in the area of tourism cooperation, more exchange of ideas. Sri Lanka needs more facilities and infrastructure for tourism, so I think it would be better to establish more cooperation in that area to improve tourism promotion in both countries. Apart from that we have to improve tourism exchange to increase the number of Bosnian tourists visiting Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans visiting Bosnia. We have established links with the Sri Lankan tourism industry and in Bosnia we are working towards this and we will see what we can do 

I would like to have more cooperation with the two ministries of the two countries. To create the capacity of the two countries, we have huge potential. We are in discussion with dignitaries with the Sri Lanka tourism industry and I suggested exchanges of officials to explore new ideas between the two countries 

I would love to have more cooperation in the area of education, in terms of student exchanges – that is an excellent instrument for improving bilateral relations; students are excellent ambassadors for countries

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Sri Lanka mulls cutting excessive airport fees to boost tourism

Sri Lanka Tourism

Sri Lanka is reviewing how to reduce airport fees to make the country more competitive with the rest of Asia and make the country more attractive to tourists Sri Lanka's tourism minister said.

"A review is being done as to how best we could reduce the landing charges, fueling charges and airport taxes," Amaratunga said. 

He admitted that excessive airport fees are being passed on to airline ticket prices to Sri Lanka, making the country less attractive for potential tourists. 

Sri Lanka has a state monopoly supplying fuel at the airport and there is no competition. When fuel supply is competitive if there are procurement irregularities and the petroleum firm pays high prices to buy fuel, it will lose out to competition. 

While many East Asian airports are also state-run, their fees are lower.

For example in a Colombo-Kuala Lumpur Colombo ticket sold by Malaysian Airlines for 34,656 rupees, the Colombo Malaysia leg is 19,918 rupees and the KL Sri Lanka leg is 14,738 rupees.

Airport embarkation fees and taxes in Malaysia is 2,874 rupees and in Sri Lanka 8,094 rupees. Airport taxes are 40 percent of the ticket price in Colombo. 

On Malindo Air, in a ticket priced at 41,348 rupees, out of taxes of 10,968 rupees, 8,094 are for Sri Lanka. 

Meanwhile Amaratunga said discussions are ongoing on other taxes as well. 

Sri Lanka also has value added tax and nation building tax on tourist products, which however is a reasonable given the need to broadbase taxes and end exemptions. 

However in many countries VAT paid by tourists is reclaimable. 

There is however a need to collect tax from the sector as many of the larger hotels that have come up have tax holidays and taxes like the NBT are simple to collect especially if booking engines could remit them directly to the state. 

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Sri Lanka looks to grant visa free entry to tourist friendly nations

COLOMBO, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed a task force to study the possibility of granting visa free entry to visitors from certain tourist friendly nations in order to boost arrivals to the island country, local media reported on Monday.

Sri Lankan Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said that some of the countries under consideration are India, China, and some European and West Asian countries.

Amaratunga said this proposal was aimed at encouraging more people to visit Sri Lanka and avoid the "chaos" at the immigration.

Following recommendations from the Task Force, this proposal may be implemented in the off peak months of October to November and March to April, the minister said.

He further said the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is currently working on this plan.

Additionally, in order to boost arrivals, the minister said the government was also in discussion with airlines, tour operators and hotels to provide low cost packages during the off peak months.

"These efforts are underway to ensure Sri Lanka becomes a destination that would be a visited location throughout the year," Amaratunga said.

Sri Lanka's tourism industry, which was once heavily scarred by a 30-year civil conflict, has become one of the leading industries of the country. Tourist arrivals have recorded a growth of 15.3 percent during the first half of 2018 compared with the same period last year, recent statistics from the Tourism Ministry showed.

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Sri Lanka ranked among top 5 fastest tourism growing markets by GlobalData

COLOMBO, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka has been ranked as the fourth fastest growing tourism market in the world by GlobalData, a London-based digital analysis company, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority said in a statement Monday. 

GlobalData's Tourism Potential Index provides a ranking of 60 major developed and emerging markets around the world to assess potential growth opportunities in the tourism sector. 

Iceland, Japan, Hungary, Sri Lanka and Chile have been listed as the top five fastest growing tourism markets in the world for the period between 2017 and 2021, the GlobalData index showed. 

The list is compiled using a ranking based on forecast average annual growth in international arrivals, and the forecasts are based on factors such as capital investment, GDP and disposable income in main source markets. 

Sri Lanka, which came the fourth on the list, has obtained a score of 52.8 while achieving a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.7 percent. 

The score of Iceland, which topped the list, stands at 39.1 with a CAGR of 11.7 percent.

GlobalData has also assigned star ratings to each of the 60 nations surveyed, ranking them in terms of tourism potential from very low to very high. 

The star rating is based on four elements of potential: significance, competitiveness, attractiveness and convenience to give an overall percentage score out of 100. 

No country achieved a five-star rating this year, an accolade awarded to Singapore and Switzerland last year, which were both said to have "very high potential" with few barriers to expansion or demand. 

Sri Lanka is the only four-star rated country in the top 10. 

GlobalData says Sri Lanka is "expected to experience fast growth in the future".

It also said Sri Lanka is "investment-friendly and has improved its road and air infrastructure significantly". 

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Strict enforcement needed to protect Sri Lanka tourism hotspots: expert

ECONOMYNEXT – Strict enforcement of rules and effective management is needed to protect Sri Lankan tourism hotspots like national parks and archaeological sites from over-visitation, an Australian expert said. 

"Over tourism is a somewhat awkward term, and describes the situation in which a particular destination exceeds its carrying capacity, either in physical or social terms,” said Andrew Fairley, former deputy chairman of Tourism Australia, the Australian tourism promotion outfit. 

He drew on his experience in maintaining the sustainability of potentially fragile tourism destinations at a public address by organised by the Australian High Commission and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and Australia’s private sector development programme Market Development Facility. 

Over tourism is a familiar theme in Sri Lanka, with popular hotspots like Yala National Park and Sigiriya facing challenges related to overcrowding and the consequent deterioration of the natural asset, a statement said. 

“It results in a deterioration of the tourism experience for both visitors and locals, and if it continued unchecked, could cause serious brand damage,” it quoted Fairley as saying. 

Fairley highlighted the need for an assessment, of carrying capacity, access and behaviours, as well strict enforcement of boundaries in this regard through effective tourism management. 

Establishing “One Voice” in tourism would further aid this goal and prevent the potential negative impacts on Sri Lanka’s tourism assets. 

Fairley also said research, consolidation and sustainability is essential for tourism. 

Core-market analysis, effective marketing and communication, and the importance of optimising tourist visitation were some of the key areas Fairley touched on in his talk on “Staying ahead in global tourism marketing: How core-market research and outreach can deliver a sustainable advantage”. 

Fairley recently worked with the government of Sri Lanka and tourism authorities on the Tourism Strategic Plan 2017-2020 (TSP), released last year. 

Fairley explored elements from the TSP, drawing parallels with Tourism Australia’s strategic journey, which began with consolidation. 

“Underpinning the success of any system reform is the implementation of an efficient and effective governance model,” said Fairley, referring to how Australian tourism was segmented into four separate bodies until 2003, when the government consolidated them and establish Tourism Australia – creating “One Voice”. 

The structural and governance renovation was successful in marketing ‘Brand Australia’ through proactive government involvement that concurrently enabled and enlivened the private sector.

Fairley also spoke of the importance of timely and accurate core-market data to travel industry decision-making. 

In the case of Australia, Fairley highlighted three of Australia’s biggest inbound tourism markets – the UK, China and India, highly relevant to Sri Lanka as well. 

For these, Tourism Australia carried out a detailed analysis of demand and supply. The analysis of drivers led to the creation of Australia’s “experience pillars”, which highlight Australia’s strongest consumer assets. 

“There are many niche opportunities [in Sri Lanka] as well which are comprehensively identified in your tourism strategy,” Fairley said. 

“These include health and well-being, ecotourism, and the MICE market. The challenge is to determine which have priority. Success requires you to focus on a few core strategies and do them well.” 

Converting research findings into actual implementation involves marketing and communication outreach. 

This includes addressing the optimal distribution model and acknowledging the importance of agents, wholesalers and aggregators within the process. 

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Of elephants and tourists: Sustainable wildlife tourism in Sri Lanka

Srilal Miththapala, eTN Sri Lanka ambassador, delivered a talk on “Sri Lanka Tourism & Sustainability with special emphasis on Elephants” at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Canberra recently.

The audience consisting of travel writers, tourism industry representatives, as well as wildlife and elephant enthusiasts enjoyed the informative and insightful presentation with video clips of elephants in Sri Lanka. 

This is the second talk given by Srilal Miththapala at the High Commission and the third in the series of tourism promotional events hosted by the High Commission to provide the tourism industry, travel writers, and wildlife experts in Canberra an opportunity to see a glimpse of what Sri Lanka has to offer in terms of wildlife and sustainable tourism. 

After a brief overview of Sri Lanka’s topography and tourism factors, Miththapala focused on the Sri Lankan elephant which is fast becoming an icon for Sri Lanka tourism. He described the cultural and religious importance of this special animal in the country as well as its demographics, behavior, and social life. He also entertained the audience with stories of personal encounters with these gentle giants revered in the island nation, along with images and videos. 

High Commissioner Somasundaram Skandakumar, in introducing the speaker, highlighted his vast experience in the hospitality industry and in developing sustainable tourism practices in Sri Lanka.

A very lively Q and A session followed with many questions from travel writers and journalists in the audience. 

The audience was able to interact with the speaker at the end while savoring Sri Lankan tea and delicacies. 

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Survey finds Indian, Western tourists in Sri Lanka satisfied with hotel stays

ECONOMYNEXT- Most Indian and Western tourists visiting Sri Lanka are satisfied with their stays in hotels, according to the latest airport survey done by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

Of the over 1,000 tourists who answered questions in the survey, 63 percent had stayed in hotels. Another 16 percent stayed in guest houses, and 8 percent stayed in boutique hotels.

The highest number of respondents in the survey were from India, Germany, UK, Australia and Russia, aged between 20-29 and were male.

Around 60 percent of the tourists thought that the quality of rooms in Sri Lanka were excellent or very good, and only 9 percent of them had rated the rooms poor.

Fifty-six percent of the tourists rated the quality of food highly, while 11 percent thought the opposite. There was a nearly identical split in opinion over the quality of service.

The survey was done through two touch screens at self-service kiosks at the Katunayake Airport. (COLOMBO, July 12, 2018)

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Targeting more Indian tourist footfalls

Sri Lanka is aiming for a tourism revenue of $4 billion this year, which would be a record high for the sector. To achieve that, the island’s tourism department will chiefly target visitors from India, from where it gets the highest number of visitors. Authorities point to an uptick in young travellers from India coming to Sri Lanka on weekend trips. They arrive on Friday night and return on Sunday, often squeezing in a quick drive to beach towns such as Galle and Bentota along the southern coast.

With the hope of getting Indian tourists to prolong their stay, and to draw more tourists from other key markets such as China, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, Sri Lanka’s Tourism Development Authority is looking to popularise new attractions. According to its chairman Kavan Ratnayaka, these places will also be an alternative to the currently popular destinations that often get overcrowded — especially Yala National Park in the south and the ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya in the Central Province. “We are exploring if the ancient town of Polonnaruwa can be presented as an alternative to Sigiriya, and other national parks like Minneriya and Kaudulla as alternatives to Yala,” he told The Hindu. 

Additionally, tourism authorities are giving shape to the ‘Ramayana trail’, which will consist of sites that many believe have links to the epic. While private tour operators already offer packages to some of these sites, the Tourism Development Authority is yet to formalise the trail. New Delhi, especially after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government took over in 2014, has been reportedly keen on the initiative. Simultaneously, within Sri Lanka, there is a resurgent interest in Ravana that offers potential for developing associated sites, officials said.

Making Colombo more happening

 

The trail is only one of the many attractions on the scenic island, where the beaches, hills and historic sites compete for attention. Many Indians are also patrons of the 24-hour casinos in Colombo. In fact, some of them travel frequently, often in groups, and spend the weekend chasing fortunes. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority is also focussing on “making Colombo more happening” with greater retail and entertainment options, authorities said. While its outreach is global, there is a special focus on India — for its proximity and traditional business links — through a targeted campaign online. 

Since the end of the civil war in 2009, Sri Lanka has been witnessing a steady increase in tourist arrivals, but there has been a considerable surge in the last couple of years. From 4.47 lakh in 2009, the number of tourists increased to 10 lakh in 2012. By 2016, the figure had doubled to 20 lakh, according to official data. This year, until May, over 10 lakh tourists visited the island. Of those, about 1.7 lakh visitors, almost a fifth of the total arrivals, were from India. China came second in terms of the number of tourists, with 1.16 lakh arrivals. 

Tourism is, at present, Sri Lanka’s third-biggest source of foreign exchange, after tea and textiles. Authorities want to push it to the top slot. Keeping this objective in mind, they have strengthened security measures. Earlier this year, following a series of incidents involving sexual abuse and violence targeting foreign tourists, authorities said they would set up police posts and patrols at popular resorts. “We have zero tolerance to any threat to the safety of tourists. Sri Lanka should be absolutely safe for the solo woman traveller. That is the standard we are working towards,” said Mr. Ratnayaka. 

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Sri Lanka tourism industry in drive to fill 100,000 worker shortfall

ECONOMYNEXT- Sri Lanka’s leisure industry says it will carry out a five year program to boost the output of skilled trainees and make the sector attractive to school leavers and females as a worker shortfall worsens amid a tourism boom. 

Sri Lanka Tourism and Hospitality Workforce Competitiveness Roadmap 2018-2023, devised by a skills development committee made up of key leisure sector companies said there is an annual shortfall of up to 20,000 workers. 

“[W]e need more and better trained people entering the industry,” Malik Fernando, from Sri Lanka’s Dilmah group, who chairs the Private Sector Tourism Skills Committee, which devised the 5-year plan. 

“We need 100,000. The Tourist Board thinks it’s closer to 90,000, but that doesn’t include the informal sector.” 

According to the roadmap, only 10,000 trainees come out of hotel schools in the country annually.

But about 25,000 to 30,000 are needed each year to staff new hotels and related businesses and also to fill positions falling vacant as older workers retire and others migrate to greener pastures.

Sri Lanka has a falling rupee, making foreign jobs in countries with sounder central banks which provide stronger currencies such as the Maldives and the Middle East, more attractive. 

“We cannot standby and watch anymore. Our complacency will kill the industry,” Fernando said.

“We hope others will join us, but we don’t intend to wait.” 

The skills committee which includes tourism player like Jetwing, John Keells, Dilmah, and Shangri-La is backed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the Ceylon Hotel School, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the Technical and Vocational Education Commission and the US Agency for International Development. 

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is growing rapidly, with the tourism authority estimating that 20,720 rooms will be added to Sri Lanka’s inventory by 2020. 

By end 2017, 35,986 rooms were officially registered with the tourism authority in graded hotels and supplementary units such as guest houses. There are also hundreds of unregistered hotels and guest houses 

A quarter of the tourists visiting the country stayed at unregistered properties, the SLTDA said.

The 5-year plan developed by the skills committee, will revamp curricula in hotel schools and start more three and six month courses to churn out workers faster. 

Additional modules can then be taken while working creating an environment of flexible carreer development and training. 

A train-the-trainers programme on the new curricula will train 200 instructors in vocational training institutes. 

A 4-6 week internship program will be introduced. 

Fernando said that the plan will also increase training on niche areas such as naturalists and wellness professionals, who are increasingly in demand. 

Secondary school teachers will also be trained to provide tourism and hospitality training in such schools under the roadmap. 

Fernando says some young people are not joining the industry due to negative perceptions and some parents oppose female children in particular from joining the industry, which will be adressed by increasing awareness. 

“We want to reach out to the youth, parents and the community,” he said. 

There is also a potential pool of workers in the military who may want to leave and join the hospitality industry, officials said. 

A research unit will also be set up to get up to date information on local and international trends to help better decision-making.

“A lot of our statistics are guesstimates and many of them are plain wrong,” Fernando said. “The data is simply not available and speculative.” (Colombo/July02/2018) 

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Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals grow 15.3 pct up to June

COLOMBO, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka has recorded a growth of 15.3 percent in tourist arrivals during the first half of 2018 compared to the same period last year, statistics from the Tourism Ministry showed here Wednesday. 

From January to June, 1,164,647 tourists arrived in Sri Lanka compared to the 1,010,444 tourists who visited the country during the same period last year. 

In June, 146,828 tourists arrived in the island country, 19 percent increase from the arrivals recorded in June 2017. 

India remained the largest market for Sri Lanka in June, followed by China and Britain.

Tourism Minister John Amaratunga told Xinhua that tourism was one of the highest growing sectors in the island. 

"We can reach our target this year. We need to expand the capacity of our airports. Currently, 98 percent of tourists arrive by air," he said. 

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Colombo Stock Exchange decides to delist Kalpitiya Beach Resort

Board of Directors of the Colombo Stock Exchange has decided to delist the securities of Kalpitiya Beach Resort subject to the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission.


 In an announcement, Colombo Stock Exchange said the decision to delist the company is based on the following reasons.

 1. The shareholders of the Company have been issued with shares of Hikkaduwa Beach Resort pursuant to the Amalgamation

 2. The company does not exist at present subsequent to the amalgamation since the Registrar of Companies has removed all particulars relating to the company from the Register

 3. Trading of the securities of the Company has been suspended The announcement further said that any person aggrieved by the aforesaid decision of them may appeal to the Securities and Exchange Commission within 14 days.


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how sri lanka is fast becoming a popular holiday destination for 2017

British passport holders will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visa before they can enter Sri Lanka. You can obtain a short stay tourist visa if the purpose of your visit is leisure including sightseeing, visiting friends and family, medical treatment, participating in sporting events or competitions and activities relating cultural performances. There are several types of ETA short stay visa's a UK citizen can apply for. The first is the standard 30 day visa, which allows you single entry into the country. Visitors can also opt for a double entry 30 day visa.

 

Although you can obtain a visa upon arrival in Sri Lanka, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise getting this prior to departure to prevent any delays when you arrive. According to the FCO, if you overstay your visa you could face a fine, be detained or deported. If you have obtained a 30 day visa, this can be extended whilst you are over there. In order for your visa application to be approved your passport will need to be valid for at least six months from the date you arrive in Sri Lanka. And according to Sri Lankan authorities, any false or misleading statements on your visa application could mean you are denied entry into the country permanently.

                      

Brits will need to apply for an ETA visa before they head to Sri Lanka

However, obtaining an ETA does not necessarily guarantee you will be allowed to enter the country - this will be at the discretion of the immigration officers when you pass through customs.

You could be denied entry upon arrival into Sri Lanka if you have the following items in your possession:

• Dangerous drugs
• Narcotic substances
• Pornographic or séditions material
• Any items that ridicule a religious belief

The following items are restricted and you will be denied entry into Sri Lanka if you have not got a permit, which must be obtained before travel:

• Fire arms, ammunition, explosives and weapons
• Medication other than for personal use
• Goods for commercial or trade purposes except for samples
• Plants, fruits, birds and bird products

 

Tourists are forbidden to be in a picture with a historic monument in Sri Lanka

Items such as cameras, laptops and iPads, are allowed but must be declared on arrival.

Foreign currency more than US$10,000 (£8,093) must also be declared upon arrival.

Holidaymakers heading to Sri Lanka should be warned that they can only photograph the ancient monuments if they have purchased a permit to do so from the Central Cultural Fund, which has offices in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and Kandy.

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sri lanka electronic travel authorization

Srilanka is one of the best top tourist destination place with awesome landscapes, antiquated sanctuaries, and entrancing Buddha statues. To visit the place apply for Srilanka ETA visa by filling the application form online and the visa will be sent to you by means of email. The eTA Sri Lanka visa is accessible for tourists from India and most part of Europe.

To apply for visa click here 

Again Pack your Bags for Sri Lanka

Are you planning to visit Sri Lanka again? Pack your bags as soon as possible. Don’t make yourself to wait. Sri Lanka the population of 20-25 million or more than it and covered the 65,610 sq km in area. The languages spoken in Sri Lanka are Tamil, English and Sinhala. The teardrop-shaped island of Sri Lanka is oddly designed by the Chinese as the "land without sorrow". The democratic socialist republic of Sri Lanka is a small nation and it is one of the most desired countries for travel in the South Asia region. After the destructive and disastrous Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 where 31,229 deaths were recorded and around a million left homeless, Sri Lanka's sweet and slow readjust accolades it as small miracle. In earlier days Europeans in the world of exploration thought that they had discovered the "Garden of Eden", but what has become to this pearl of the Indian Ocean is now the crown jewel of the spice trade. On the inside, the once-called Ceylon is care-free and peaceful, but around it, wars were waged by great empires in a search to covet the rich island. Now the government of Sri Lanka doesn’t allow outsiders easily. All need to have Sri Lanka visa and passport with them. Sri Lanka ETA visa is now available online. Now easily one can apply for Sri Lanka visa.  There are many online sites to make your visa easily.

Before you pack your bags for Sri Lanka consider these things:

Geography and Climate:  Sri Lanka is a 65,610 km in square. The territory of mainly flat and rolling plains while mountainous portion in the central part to the south. Quite low that the island wonders it has a highest altitude. The Pidurutalagala of 2,524 meters above the Indian Ocean is its lowest point. The country indulges in a warm tropical monsoon climate moderated by ocean moisture and winds. So in Sri Lanka the climate on first month of March to end of June will be very hot and after that from June to October will be rainy. And rest months are counted in Cold. So the best month to visit Sri Lanka is June to October. All these month will be monsoon and great to experience and enjoy.

People and Culture: The people of Sri Lanka are very nice. They always welcome outsiders with great heart. There are 4 religious of people mainly stayed over here. Buddhism, Hindu and Islam, Christianity. They are simple in nature and very humble to others. You will feel like home only.

Food and Attraction: Mainly people love rice and curry in their food over here. As the country is located near to sea therefore sea food is also famous over here. In hese parts of the world, food is so good everything to stop outsiders. People think Sri Lankan cuisine is similar to Indian cuisine. But it's not true all food items taste is different from other countries.

So when you will visit Sri Lanka try to visit whole Colombo. Obviously your plane will land there but still take for whole city ride. Make your Sri Lanka tourism visa from very trusted company.