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Interview: Sri Lanka's investment environment very good: leading hotelier

Xinhua, October 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

Sri Lanka now maintains a very good investment environment and has attracted many international investors in recent months, a top hotelier has said.

Harry Jayawardena, chairman of Sri Lanka's leading hotel group Aitken Spence, in a recent interview with Xinhua, said that Sri Lanka has the potential to attract a large number of tourists and investors and is on the right track to become a world class destination for tourism and investment.

He said that as tourism has increased, especially since the end of a 30 year civil war, his hotel chains are now gearing up to attract more visitors, especially from countries such as China.

China has become the No. 2 market for the highest number of tourist arrivals in the island nation and has helped boost the industry which was once heavily scarred by the civil conflict.

"Now the investment environment of Sri Lanka is good as we have very big inquiries. Everyday many companies want to come to Sri Lanka. Our tourism is also doing very well," Jayawardena said.

The Aitken Spence group is also constructing Sri Lanka's largest hotel in the south of the island nation. The hotel is being constructed by the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), in the famous tourist town of Ahungalla and it will comprise of 500 rooms.

"We are one month ahead of target. CHEC did a good job. All the rooms are sold already, back to back," Jayawardena said.

In August, 25 percent of the total number of tourist arrivals were from China and September fared even better, Jayawardena said, adding that China is a vast market which Sri Lanka wants to attract.

"Last September we exceeded the target. Because China celebrated its New Year so a majority of people went out for a holiday. Earlier Chinese used to stay only in China but now they have started going out to all parts of the world," he said.

"It is a very good market, " he further said.

In addition to building star class hotels in the island nation, Aithken Spence has also earned international fame with many of its hotels being opened in other parts of the world. Recently the group purchased a hotel in Oman with 100 percent ownership.

Although the group does not have immediate plans to open up its hotels in China, Jayawardena said that in the future they would consider it.

In addition to hotels, the group also has ventured into other field of business including shipping and port management. Endit