Tourism centre gets US$6 mln investment
View(s):A Sri Lanka tourism centre would be established with an investment of US$6 million for the promotion of tourism in the country, a release issued by the government website stated.
This was mooted by Dr. Luis Durnwalder President of Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy during a meeting with an Italian delegation and the Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa at the latter’s ministry office, the release said.
The Italian investors intend to explore the facilities available and Dr. Durnwalder welcomed the steps Sri Lanka had taken to development required for tourism promotion said that the country had all facilities tourists need. He made a special reference to the progress of the country’s road network, it was stated.
When tourism develops many foreign students are bound to visit the country, he predicted. Dr. Durnwalder and his team had visited several places to select the best location to establish a tourism centre in the island.
Minister Rajapaksa stressed the need for introducing new courses for students in the tourism field and said the government has taken the responsibility of building the infrastructure, hotels, providing food and security for tourists.
He has said that providing accommodation for tourists in private homes had also become popular among locals. The minister was said to have also briefed the Italian visitors on the government’s development policy and the Divi Neguma national programme aimed at eradicating poverty in the country.
Drawing attention to the completion of the Southern Expressway, he also told the visitors that the Northern Expressway and the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway are already under construction.
Mr Rajapaksa added that Sri Lanka was now focusing on generating electricity through solar power and bio-gas since hydro-electricity was not enough to meet the country’s power requirements, it was stated.
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