Lanka's Travel Mart to become region's premier event

Sri Lanka-Gateway to South Asia Travel Mart, which will be held from June 3 to 5, will be the meeting point of over 100 exhibiting companies from South Asia. The exhibitors will comprise tourism and MICE tourism sectors.

Sri Lanka Travel Mart now entering its third consecutive year, is growing to be the region's finest travel event.

Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) Chairman Udaya Nanayakkara said that the objective of the travel mart is to showcase in particular, the unique lifestyle this island offers as a diversified product to the global tourism market. Going "Beyond Beaches to Nature, Culture and Adventure" a concerted effort is being made to promote every segment of tourism.

Nanayakkara said that the focus of Sri Lanka-Gateway to South Asia has been on promoting niche market products such as villas, boutique hotels and heritage hotels.

"The broad aim of this travel mart is to showcase the whole of South Asia as a key tourism region and Sri Lanka as the gateway to this very exciting region which has divers attractions to offer, much of it as yet unexplored and relatively unknown to visitors.

IFC assistance adds muscle to industry recovery

Meanwhile, the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group's private sector financing arm announced this week that it will provide upto $150 million as loans to companies that can help rebuild commercial tourism ventures in tsunami affected countries in South Asia and South East Asia.

IFC will clear loan requests on a priority basis and provide long-term funding to help hotel and resort operators rebuild properties that were affected by the tsunami well in time for the next peak tourist season.

This is a good opportunity for companies in the region who would like to receive accelerated long-term loan financing to help rebuild hotel properties in the affected areas in the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, where the tsunami caused significant damage to popular tourist resorts.

The loans will be granted on commercial terms and are aimed at established hotel companies that require substantial amounts of capital for reconstruction or refinancing.

Typically, the firms should be committed to sound social and environmental policies, with a positive track record in operations and a portfolio of properties catering to different segments of the market.