Two new hotels coming up

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry may be dormant at present but is gearing for better times with plans for the construction of two properties in Colombo and Matara by a leisure sector investor.

Bernard Hotel Management company’s Managing Director Denesh Silva told the Business Times on Thursday that they will be investing US$6.5 million in a 40 room boutique hotel in Talalla, Matara and $3 million in a city hotel on Chatham Street, Fort with 30 rooms.

“We have been always skeptical of the tourism industry but we have never given up and with the new turn of events in the external environment we believe there will be greater times to come for Sri Lanka,” Mr. Silva said.

Currently they are on the search for respective parties to carry out construction work on the properties in these two locations, he said.

He pointed out that the hotel in Colombo will be a bed and breakfast with minimal offerings and the property in Matara will be established as a high end one with both likely to open in 2022/23, he said.

Mr. Silva noted that they were hoping to attract visitors from Europe and also India and pointed out that it was the governments that were placing restrictions on the people from travelling.

“People are willing to travel both in Europe and even in India,” he said adding there is hope once a vaccination comes through.

Moreover, the parliamentary elections have also pushed for a two-third majority by the ruling party and with the President’s vision “we are quite hopeful for better times,” he said.

In addition the company has also invested Rs.10 million in a venture to market local seafood, he said stating that this company, Ceylon Seafood Pvt. Ltd was established in July to sell across the country.