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Tourism Claiming a huge success for Elephant Corridor during the 18 months of operation in Sri Lanka, Susanne Filippin, Managing Director of Sanasuma Developments (Pvt.) Ltd recently disclosed plans for the development of three major projects in the island. They will all be built and operated along the same lines as the Corridor. Susanne, an owner of art galleries and restaurants originally from Germany, has acquired much of her familiarity with tourism in the Seychelles. She met her collaborator who owns the 200 acres of land on which the Corridor is built five kilometers away from Sigiriya. In her opinion, Sri Lanka is not a beach destination. The island has much more to offer the traveller who wants an experience close to nature. According to Susanne, when her company builds a hotel in any particular area its focus is on highlighting the significance of that location - its nature, culture or any other landmark it is known for. Guests who stay at these hotels have an unhurried routine, unrestricted by rules and time schedules. As the brochures say, you are encouraged to "follow your biological clock. You could have your meals served when you are hungry, in your preferred style, en suite, at a speciality restaurant or even outdoors under the trees". Three hotels are being planned for construction next year - Jungle Bay in Yala, Dancer's Crag in Kandy and a city hotel in Jaffna. They will have 20 suites each on an extent of 20 to 25 acres of land in each case. Each of these projects will cost half-a-billion rupees. Like the Corridor, room tariffs will be kept high - from US $ 250 to $1250. The company is talking to investors and financiers who are said to be "showing great interest in the concept and the projects to which it is committed". The company, which calls itself "Our way" also hopes to make a substantial contribution to human resource development. Each hotel will produce 20 managers with each suite being treated as a separate unit under a manager looking into every need of its guests. They want to build at least another 10 "life Style" hotels in different parts of the island such as the east coast, Hantana and Galle in addition to a few theme parks. That speaks volumes for their confidence in the success of this concept. If that were so - it was time to ask a sensitive question - why was it reported that the Corridor was up for sale recently? Unmoved, Susanna Fillipin responded: "That was a rumour planted by our competitors" Is that a sign that tourism has entered a new phase of growth and intense competition? (The writer could be reached at panis3@yahoo.com). |
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