Wayamba Development Authority to launch first major management agreement with Amaya Leisure

By Asoka N. Pathirane

Having come into the tourism and hospitality industry with a bang last year, Wayamba Development Authority of the Wayamba Provincial Council has taken a giant step towards catering to the foreign and local traveller by signing up with a colossus Hotel and Resort Group, Amaya Leisure to operate the eye catching construction along the Kurunegala-Dambulla Road (three kilometres from the Kurunegala city) just before one reaches the splendid forest reserve.

Amaya Leisure, specialists in the hotels and resorts sector, is breaking the ice with their convention and outside catering operation which will commence from the Badagamuwa Center in Kurunegala.

Amaya, the holding company under which Amaya Lake in Kandalama, Amaya Hills, Kandy, Amaya Beach in Kosgoda come under, also manage The Fortress together with few other hotels in Nuwara Eliya and various other centres. This will be something new to the giant company whose assets run into billions. The tourist groups, local elitist clientele and the corporate sector will patronise the property as its location is of a different splendour. Kurunegala being a business hub will benefit from latest version of catering. The main restaurant which stands on the first floor and The Pastry Corner and the High Tea Lounge will be on the ground floor with a shopping arcade.

They too will cater to functions behind the main structure and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets with the touch of a la carte. Special Theme nights and fashion shows at weekends with a musical extravaganza will be a certainty to attract the passing traveller. A typical Wayside Restaurant opposite the forest reserve will add more clarity to the Wild Track concept of Amaya Leisure.

The real beauty and ambiance lie during evenings with the lights fading and Amaya’s Pit Stop gets into action.

For the affluent clientele in Kurunegala and suburbs Amaya will bubble with filled restaurants up and down and the concept itself will be a feather in the cap for Wayamba Development Authority whose Director General Wasantha Premathileka proudly accepts the arrival of the hospitality giant which teamed up with them. With the grand opening is scheduled for 2 August, a host of invitees will grace the occasion to add more colour. He further states this will need no extra publicity as the traveller will do their part once they experience the cuisine with high standard and service. WDA in 2011 won the Award for Innovation in Tourism for this property and he believes will be a winner all the way.

Premathileka is pleased that Amaya Leisure will market the Badagamuwa Center in their websites and during overseas travel markets. WDA have already commenced a cross marketing /selling strategy to focus more on the Wayside Restaurant and will ensure awareness amongst the ever increasing foreign travellers to Sri Lanka. WDA has been the pioneer of these concepts as the other provinces have yet to spark and Amaya/WDA partnership will embark with experts planning the increase in revenue in the coming years. This, everyone in Kurunegala believes will be a Roadmap to the success route.