This week saw the launch of the first ever Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism in Sri Lanka. A key feature of the inaugural awards was the recognition of Legends and Pioneers of the industry over its 40 over years of development. Honoured tourism legends were late Ministers of Tourism Dr. Anandatissa de Alwis, Dharmasiri Senanayake and world renowned architect late Geoffrey Bawa. Among the tourism pioneers honoured posthumously were the first Chairman of the Tourist Board A.C.H.C de Zoysa, founder principal of the Hotel School Pearl Heenatigala, Ayurveda Tourism’s first proponent Sudanapala Rodrigo and founder of Walkers Tours of the John Keells Group, one of Sri Lanka’s leading business groups in tourism, John Bostock.

Presidential Awards were also bagged by Sri Lanka tourism’s excellent performers during the year 2006 based on an application driven process. The Panel of Judges for the awards consisted of eminent personalities from outside of the industry. The full list of recipients is available at www.srilanka.travel  

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January saw the reopening of Block 1 of the Yala National Park for visitors. Wildlife authorities keen on opening all parks as early as possible await the green signal, especially to fully open the Yala Park, to tourists and local visitors.

“At present around 30 -40 foreigners are visiting the park daily” said Tourism Officer Department of Wildlife Nayana Kulatunga going on to add “ The jeeps are in operation for visitors seeking wildlife safaris.”  She also said “As at now, the Uda Walawe and Wilpattu Parks remain to be opened” according to other government sources these parks too are to be reopened in the very near future.

The following parks are currently open -  Yala National Park (Block I), Bundala National Park, Kalametiya, Sinharaja, Kithulgala, Kanneliya, Talangama, Bodhinagala, Anniwilundua, Wasgamuwa National Park and Minneriya National Park.

As the World Travel and Tourism Awards (WTTC) unveiled the 12 finalists of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2008, Sri Lanka Calling is happy to learn that Sri Lanka’s Turtle Conservation Project is among the top nominees.
 
The finalists were selected out of 150 applications, by an international committee of 12 experts headed by Costas Christ, a strong advocate of sustainable tourism.

“The 2008 finalists represent the very best examples among a great pool of
exceptional award applicants who are part of the global transformation of tourism now underway” Costas Christ. For more details on the WTTC awards visit www.torismfortomorrow.com

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A one day symposium on ‘Elephants in Sri Lanka – A 21st Century Vision’ drew conservationist and experts on elephants to the Cinnamon Grand in Colombo on Saturday 26th.  All speakers focussed on the welfare of the elephant and the protection of this endangered species.

The Born Free Team comprised of Chief Executive Will Travers, Senior Programmes Officer – Field Conservation David Jay and Wildlife Consultant Ian Redmond; also among the distinguished panel of speakers were Dr Suhada Jayawardena, Chandeep Corea, Nishantha Dharmasiri,   Dr Deepani Jayantha, Jagath Gunawardena, Sri Lal Miththapala, Vajira Wijegunawardene and Ravi Jayawardene. The topics covered a wide range of issues from ‘The Elephant Transit Home at Uda Walawe’ to ‘ Elephants and Tourism’ with a final 90 minute discussion session on the presentations.

Wildlife enthusiasts and elephant lovers in particular will be transposed in to life at the Uda Walawe National Park, on reading ‘Tranquil Footsteps’, a novel about nature and wild life where the elephant is the main theme and is written from the perspective of a matriarch elephant. The story begins as the elephant speaks  “I stood quietly watching the sun rising in the eastern skies …………and at 48 years I have seen and heard many things…… “ Written by Sri Lal Miththapala committed conservationist, wild life enthusiast, an Electrical Engineer by profession and a leader in the hospitality and tourism trade; Vice President of The Hoteliers Association of Sri Lanka, on having studied the Sri Lankan elephant in the wild for nearly 20 years. For more details on Sri Lankan elephants visit www.geocities.com/Rainforest/8298

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Alston Koch, former Australian superstar has re emerged with his latest single, simply titled ‘Murali’ a tribute to spin legend Muthiah Muralitharan.      

The song recorded in Melbourne and produced by one of Australia’s leading music producers Jarrod Gilson, who has given the song a great boost by rating it as one of the best productions of a tribute he has been involved in.  The song will be an added impetus to Muralitharan and the Sri Lankan cricketers who are currently in Australia for the tri – series due to begin in Brisbane on 3rd February.

Ashok Kainth talks of ‘Following the Ramayana story through Sri Lanka.’ 

Having followed the Ramayana story through Sri Lanka, finding over 30 locations of the  story, including Ravanna’s fortresses, his ‘airports’ and dairy farm. Kainth has visited the 5 sites where pieces of the Himalaya’s were dropped by Hanuman, during his quest to bring medicines to the injured Lakhsman; which brought him to the magical site of Rhummasala, the headland across from Galle.  For more details on the Salon visit www.amangalla@amanresorts.com 

Taking a break from duties in Singapore and coming to Sri Lanka on holiday at the invitation of the Sri Lankan ambassador HE Shehan Ratnavale were a group of  very important personalities and among them were four Ambassadors to Singapore; HE Patricia Herbold Ambassador for USA, HE Andrey Rozhakov, Ambassador for Russia, HE Jose Arturo Montoya Stuva, Ambassador for Peru; the others in the group Ms Elina M. Iwatake, Head of Commercial, BT Global Services and Ms. Kristin Paulson, United Technologies International Operations.

HE Andrey Rozhkov “ We were awe-stricken when we visited the Temple of the Tooth Relic. We have not seen a Buddhist Shrine or a Dagaba and most of what we saw here were for the first time in our lives” continuing enthusiastically “Sri Lanka is so colourful with beautiful beaches, green everywhere and the most outstanding was the visit to Dalada Maligawa inner-most sanctum and I count it a great privilege and honoured to receive the blessings at the Sacred place.”