Hong Kong beauties in Lanka

BY IRANGIKA Range

SRILANKAN Airlines (SLA) as a part of its social responsibility to boost the country's tourism industry following the tsunami setback has sponsored 25 Hong Kong beauty contestants to travel here for their mini pageants of the International Miss Hong Kong Beauty Contest conducted in top tourist sites of Sri Lanka recently.

The International Miss Hong Kong Beauty Contest selected Sri Lanka as a destination to host its mini pageant in Kandy, Dambulla and Kosgoda, which will afford locals valuable and historical exposures in overseas and promote a revival of tourism after the tsunami.

The group comprising over 60 judges, TV and camera crew and reporters from Hong Kong spent 10 days in Sri Lanka judging, filming and reporting mini pageants.

This is a good opportunity for Sri Lanka to ensure awareness of the country abroad and promote it as a safe destination.

SLA's, Promotion Executive (events) Ramini Jayasinghe said that the objective of sponsoring this event is that it will create a good image for Sri Lanka in the world tourism and to showcase Sri Lanka as a key tourism region in South Asia. SLA has sponsored these 25 beauty queens to travel to the Maldives and Bangkok too.

These beauty queens have engaged in many social and community activities during their 10 days. They also visited the temporary refugee camp in Kosgoda last Monday.

These beauty queens spent the whole day with children at Kosgoda Primary School which was completely destroyed by the tsunami.

The Sri Lankan Cares, a charity arm of SLA donated books, pencils, slippers and prepared lunch to the children as a part of their community development projects.

Jayasinghe said these mini pageants including many TV programs and newspaper articles would reveal Sri Lanka's rich bio-diversity and the current situation to the world.

This would result more tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka.

SLA, Manager Public Relations, Deshini Abeyewardena said "under our charity service we are very keen to promote children's' education and health.

"We have already signed the MoU with the Education Ministry investing Rs.40 million to rebuild the Islamabad Maha Vidyalaya in Kalmunai which was completely destroyed by the tsunami.

Constructions will commence in the next two months and will facilitate 1600 students," she said.

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Fabulous Deals at Keells Resort Hotels

KEELLS Resort Hotels are offering fabulous deals at all their Resort Hotels round the island in June and August 2005 for the local clientele.

The recently opened new state of the art conference hall at the village premises caters to all business and conference needs. Supper deals for conferences and holidaymakers are available at Keells Resort Hotels Web Site www.johnkeellshotels.com.

A new payment getaway has been launched at the Keells Resort Website. This payment getaway allows to check availability of rooms at any Keells Resort Hotel and also to make a down payment and make reservations online. There are super deals on offer for family holidays and organize tours.

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New hotels from Luxury Hotel Developers

LUXURY Hotel Developers and Managers "Our Way" Sanasuma Developments (Pvt) Limited is planning to build 10 new hotels following the "Elephant Corridor" Hotel in Sigiriya, which has taken the high ground not only in Sri Lanka but internationally as well.

"As our hotels are beginning to take off and our focus is not only on developing very superior products, but also operating them at very high standards to be international forerunners, we are conscious of our base and roots", a spokesperson explains at the launching of "Renaissance Sri Lanka", the programme for raising standards of the country's people in general.

"Renaissance Sri Lanka" will be run entirely by women in deference to the historical and continuing contribution to the economy and country by women. Their courage and resilience in carrying a nation and a country for so long cannot have too much recognition.

"Naturally we will start small, but as our organization grows we intend setting apart a substantial portion of our income of up to 50% of our profits for this programme which will take in actual requirements of people not related to the organization".

Our stated goal is to have some of the best hotels in the world but we intend to do so in Sri Lanka, from where we come. Looking after ourselves and ones own is a basic animal instinct, but we trust that the culture and four major religions of our country will take this programme "Renaissance Sri Lanka" further into a far wider circle.

Once we are in full operation we hope to commit up to half our profit to "Renaissance Sri Lanka" which we hope grows much larger than our own organization.

We will not accept outside donations and will work only with funds from our own organizations.