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Though belated, I would not want to miss this opportunity to wish each one of you and your families the very best in 2011! Hopefully, you had a great X’mas vacation with friends and family. As I often say, that is the best time of the year as far as I am concerned. I love the feeling in the “air”, the giving and getting of presents, the carols, meeting friends and family and most importantly time to reflect on the year past and the blessings received from the birth of Jesus. Some of you may have spent it in Sri Lanka or may want to do so this year!
From around the 20th of December until mid Januray, Sri Lanka, especially Colombo its capital takes on a carnival atmosphere. Though a country with a majority (around 75%) Buddhist population, X’mas becomes a celebration for all, commercial and otherwise. There are many Srilankans living overseas who return “home”, many Europeans who want to escape their harsh, cold winters, there are the Asians who wish to take a short break in Sri Lanka’s fabulous beaches whilst hunting for bargains! This year though was not a typical X’mas time weather wise. We had incessant rain, causing floods in some parts of the country along with “chilly” weather. After 60 years Sri Lanka had its coldest day in mid January 2011 when the mid day temperature in the city of Colombo plummeted to 18 degrees centigrade! This however, did not deter the tourists who visited Sri Lanka in record numbers in 2010.
The main travel season that begins on the 1st of November have been keeping all of us very busy, and we thank each and every visitor for giving us that fabulous opportunity to show them around our Island home. We invite others to get in touch with us to show you a little part of paradise. The whales and the dolphins are showing themselves off, off the coasts of Mirissa in the South of Sri Lanka and Kalpitiya in the West. The Elephants have gathered in large numbers in Minneriya, the Leopards are roaming in the wilds of the Yala and the Wilpattu parks….. well, we invite you to come and enjoy Sri Lanka at this time of the year!
As I am writing this, the Galle Literary Festival is on, bringing in a large number of people from all over along with illustrious authors. Jetwing is also celebrating its JEEP (Jetwing Eternal Earth Programme) day on the 27th January in Galle this year. You can find more information on this in our website. We are also showcasing 4 of Sri Lanka’s best naturalists who are in the Jetwing team during this event as they are spearheading the Jetwing Research Initiative with 4 very interesting projects. We also opened our newly redeveloped Hotels Jetwing Sea (former Seashells) and Jetwing Blue (former Blue Oceanic) in Negombo this month.
Well, the rains have stopped, the sun is shining warmly and the people of Sri Lanka look forward to welcoming you! In case you have not made your holiday plans for 2011, we sincerely hope you will consider Sri Lanka as a preferred place to visit, do give it some thought please.
With Renewed wishes for a great 2011!
Sincerely Yours,
Shiromal Cooray
Managing Director
Jetwing Travels
Sri Lanka
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| The Colombo City Tour, a unique venture by Sri Lanka Tourism and Ebert Silva Holidays now synergizes with Feel Sri Lanka, the mesmerizing cultural show in the heart of the city of Colombo, organized by Sri Lanka Convention Bureau of Sri Lanka Tourism.
Starting from Friday, 7th January 2011, every Friday evening a Sightseeing Tour on the Colombo City Tour will commence from Galle Face Hotel at 4:00 p.m. picking up guests from city hotels en-route. The Tour on the striking red open-deck double decker will sightsee most of Colombo with a live commentary on board by a professional guide and a brief stop at Independence Square.
The Colombo City Tour will then arrive at the Hotel School Auditorium, Galle Road, Colombo 3 in time for the Feel Sri Lanka show commencing at 5:30 p.m. now very popular among visiting tourists and expatriates alike. At a time when Sri Lanka is poised and positioned to take off towards new economic vistas, Sri Lanka Tourism together with Ebert Silva Holidays synergize in an effort to portray the City of Colombo as an exciting destination that offers enhanced and unforgettable experiences to its visitors.
Regarding the City Tour and Feel Sri Lanka – Tickets and more information will be available at all city hotels and on hotlines 0777 599 963 and 0777 772 595.
Information on ‘ Feel Sri Lanka’ can be obtained from Sri Lanka Tourism Kumudu 071 4880570, Nimanthi
071 987 2028 and Gayan 077 2544 117
The next show on Friday 07 January 2011 will be staged by ‘Buddhawatte Academy’ one of the most popular dance guilds in Sri Lanka
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Tourist arrivals up 46 percent last year
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A total of 654,476 tourists had visited Sri Lanka last year, according to the Sri Lanka Tourist Development Authority (SLTDA) sources. Tourist arrivals too had registered a 46.1 percent increase, the target set for the year of 600,000 tourists by over 50,000 arrivals.
Tourists arrivals amounted to 84,627 during month of December, being 48.8 percent compared to the same period last year. more
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Hotels ready for World Cup
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The local hotel sector is ready to cater to the heavy tourist flow during the Cricket World Cup 2011 which will feature some matches in Sri Lanka, a senior official said.
Sri Lanka is ready to provide enough accommodation to all the fans who are keen in participating in the Cricket World Cup next February and March, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) acting Managing Director Malraj Kiriella told Daily News Business. more
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Visit Sri Lanka 2011: post and win competition
Jetwing, Sri Lanka Tailormade use social media sites to promote tourism
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The year 2011 has been officially declared as “Visit Sri Lanka year” and a target set to bring in 2.5 million tourists by the year 2016.
Following on from the global communication campaign launched by Sri Lanka tourism to make this a reality, Jetwing Travels and Sri Lanka Tailormade will also be launching a Visit Sri Lanka 2011 – Post & Win competition which will be conducted online.more
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Govt to import luxury trains
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Govt to import luxury trains The Railway Department will import two luxury trains from China to promote tourism in the country, Sri Lanka Railway Planning Director Vijaya Samarasinghe said. The Department is looking into the possibility of providing facilities to hold various functions such as weddings, birthday parties and meetings within these trains.
This would be a novel experience to Sri Lankans too, he said. The Department will import two new luxury trains and equip them to meet these needs. The Department will make necessary arrangements to import these luxury trains in the middle of this year . more
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U.S.supports Galle Lit Fest
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The U.S. Embassy in Colombo has given a grant of $5,000 to bring 30 students and teachers from all over Sri Lanka to the Galle Literary Festival to be held at the end of this week. The participants come from the University of Ruhuna, Southeastern University, Sabaragamuwa University, and the University of Jaffna.
They will attend a full schedule of events at the festival, meet both national and international writers, and participate in special teambuilding sessions while in Galle.
For five years the Galle Literary Festival has brought together writers and readers from all over the world to Sri Lanka for free and open discussions about culture, literature, history and politics. Recently, the Festival has expanded its audience by introducing an innovative children’s program and other forms of community outreach that enable a wide variety of people with differing perspectives to learn from one another. We support these efforts and hope for broad and engaged participation at this year’s festival. Events like this one can help bring about fuller freedom of expression in Sri Lanka.
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Kalundewa Retreat
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 Listen to the sounds of the birds at your private chalet on a lake, amidst the beautiful fauna and flora; your visit to Kalundewa Retreat is bound to leave a mystical and soothing impression in your mind.
Framed by picturesque mountains in this veritable oasis encompassing three scenic lakes, guests can bask in the morning sun or enjoy a walk amongst the fruit or herbal groves; meander through the rich paddy fields or in between seasons, through the plots of vegetables the paddy gives way to. You can also explore the Retreat’s 90 acres of sustainable environment and experience authentic and traditional Sri Lankan agricultural practices.
With the break of dawn a chorus of bird song will greet you. Your adventure will include encounters with Peacocks, Hornbill sightings and spottings of indigenous birds. A visit between the months of October and April will add further colour with sightings of migratory birds. You can make the most of an experiential holiday when at Kalundewa Retreat, a destination with all luxuries and modern comforts in the historical city of Dambulla, just 4 hours drive from Colombo.
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Whilst on holiday with us all our customers experience and have countless service encounters and experiences that truly delight them. We at Jetwing believe each of these encounters or ‘Moments’ are on opportunity for us and our staff to truly connect with them. Let us highlight bonds and friendships we have form with our clients that will never be forgotten…
You are welcome to log into our website, upload your images and share your experiences with us.
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Email: [email protected] | Tel: +94 11 471 4821 | www.srilankatailormade.com
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