UK Confederation honours Jayewardene
The Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality based in the United Kingdom has invited Sri Lankan born pioneer hotelier Prasanna W. Jayewardene with 45 years of experience in the tourism industry both locally and internationally to be a fellow.
Having had his education at Trinity College, Kandy and the very prestigious Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management at Klesshiem Castle, Salzburg, Austria, Jayewardene went on to be trained by Movenpick of Switzerland, Hotel George V in Paris and Trust House Fortes International in the United Kingdom among other places.
Starting in Sri Lanka in the opening of its first five-star hotel The Pegasus Reef Hotel, he conceptualized developed and managed the Elephant Corridor Hotel in Sigiria on land owned by him considered six-star plus by its guests who paid upto US$1000 a night. He now is developing the seven-star ‘Isle of Agnes’ in Weligama belonging to his company the PJ Group.
He has been on over 20 hotel boards as a Director and has at different stages provided consultancy to the largest hotel group in the Maldive Islands and been Director and General Manager of the two largest hotel and tourism groups at the time in Sri Lanka, The Ceylon Hotels Corporation and C.O.S.P.R.O.H. in the Seychelles. He has been Chairman of three regional hotel associations in Sri Lanka as well as Vice President of the National Hotels Association and on a number of committees and task forces both in Sri Lanka and Seychelles including the Seychelles Tourism Authority.
Hotel work experience in 10 countries in Asia, Africa and Europe has made him proficient in five languages. He has found time for his interest in flora and fauna and has among a host of other fauna kept leopard, deer, sambur, crocodiles, porcupine, python and peafowl. He has been a fellow of the Zoological Society of London and a Director of the National Livestock Board of Sri Lanka. His interest in collecting classic and vintage cars has allowed him to now own trophy stretched Daimler limousine used by the Queen of England, Austin Princess stretched limousine imported for a Prime Minster of Ceylon and a Jaguar owned by a Malaysian Sultan. Four novels ‘ A Journey Forward’ ‘ No Second Chance’, ‘The King Who Keeps His Crown’ and ‘Return to Heritage’ have been authored by him. He is married to a Swedish National Carin and has two children Adrian and Danielle. Presently through the PJ Group and its fully owned subsidiaries Prasanna Jayewardene as Executive Chairman is actively involved in land purchasing and organic farming predominantly in the North and East of Sri Lanka. The integrated tourism potential of the next generation on some of these lands is to be exploited over the next decade. He is supported by dedicated staff at the centre in Colombo and in the field.