With violence and political issues in many countries accelerating, Sri Lanka Tourism has one of the best opportunities to capture the world market and bring in more high spending tourists to Sri Lanka, said President Maithripala Sirisena speaking at the opening of the Golden Crown Hotel in Ampitiya Kandy last Saturday.
He said that today Sri Lanka is one of the safest countries in the world sans any violence and political unrest. The Sri Lankan Tourism sector must exploit this advantage and try to bring in more high spending foreigners to Sri Lanka.
The President who opened the hotel said that he was also pleased to see local entrepreneurs engaged in other businesses diversifying to the tourism sector. “This would help to create more local players in the industry and also help retain foreign exchange eared from the industry within Sri Lanka itself.”
The President said that tourism is one of the top three foreign exchange earners of the country and the government too would support the promotion of the industry.
“Sri Lankan hospitality standards are very high and all newcomers to the industry must maintain this high standard without compromising quality at all times,” he said.
Meanwhile Managing Director of Golden Hotel Kandy Chanuka Wijekoon said that they invested Rs 4 billion for the two acre land and the 90 room Golden Crown Hotel which also includes 18 suites.
“Most of the building material furniture and kitchen equipment were imported from China and it took three years to complete the hotel.”
Wijekoon said that they would be investing a further Rs 500 million to add another 40 rooms to the hotel. “This would be ready by November 2018,” he said.
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