We will position Sri Lanka as a prime tourist destination – Shangri La President

Tuesday, 4 January 2011 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

One of the world’s premier hotel companies Shangri La which has committed to build two resorts in Sri Lanka has committed itself to position the country as a prime tourist destination.

“The Sri Lankan government is fully committed to rebuilding the economy following the end of three decades of conflict and we believe that Shangri-La will be able to assist in positioning the country as a prime global tourist destination. Both Shangri-La hotels strategically fit into the group’s ongoing expansion plans to link the Indian subcontinent and our South East Asia developments,” Shangri La International Hotel Management President and CEO Greg Dogan said in a statement.

The Hong-Kong based Shangri-La said it has purchased six acres of Government land facing the Galle Face green promenade, to build a multi-use complex with high end retailing, deluxe apartments and a 500-key luxury hotel to open in early 2014.

The purchase marks the entry of the hotel group into Sri Lanka, often referred to as ‘The Pearl of the Indian Ocean’

Shangri La is also planning to develop a second property, a 300-key city resort on approximately 100 acres of land in Hambantota, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka to open in 2013.

“Sri Lanka is a country of unsurpassed natural beauty, rich in cultural heritage and above all it is well recognised for its warm and hospitable population,” Dogan added.

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Asia Limited, one of the world’s premier hotel companies, currently owns and/or manages 70 hotels under the Shangri-La and Traders brands, with a room inventory of over 30,000. Over almost four decades, the group has established its brand hallmark of ‘hospitality from the heart.’ The group has a substantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in Austria, Canada, mainland China, India, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Mongolia, Russia, Qatar, Turkey and United Kingdom.

Shangri La entry endorsement of post-war revival – Dr. PB

Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera has said that the entry of Shangri-La was an endorsement of Sri Lanka’s post-war prospects in addition to heralding a new journey in Foreign Direct Investment.

‘The entry of the Shangri-La global network is an endorsement of the economic prospects that Sri Lanka has gained since the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa ending the long drawn conflict, and accelerating long term infrastructure development, through the creation of a stable economic environment while promoting a rural-centric development strategy,” Dr. Jayasundera said.

“It also marks the beginning of a new journey of a high level of Foreign Direct Investment that Sri Lanka needs in order to accelerate an economic growth in excess of eight percent and position Sri Lanka as an emerging middle income country in Asia’,“ he added.

The Treasury Secretary also confirmed that several of the world’s leading investors have expressed interest to undertake a wide range of investment activities in 2011.