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Creating corridors of comfort
By Esther Williams
Not many hotels in Sri Lanka offer the luxury of time and space. The Elephant Corridor launched 1 ½ years ago has been successful in attracting the high spending traveller to the island and giving them just this experience. Speaking of its facilities, Executive Director of Tropical Leisure Management Ltd., Susanne Filippin affirms, "By providing very personalised service we have been able to bring in quality travellers."

Their success with Elephant Corridor has encouraged Tropical Leisure Management into new projects that constitute four different categories of hotels, the first of which are the 'High End Lifestyle Vistas' which would be boutique hotels similar to the Elephant Corridor. Preparatory work is underway to locate these new hotels in the Kandy area, Yala and Wilpattu.

The second category is 'Barefoot Luxury' which although still on the concept of the boutique hotel will not have all the amenities and hence will cost less. Suitable for the more adventurous travellers, these hotels would be off the beaten track. Passekudah and Trincomalee have been identified as locations.

Plans are also underway to convert government-run guest houses into Tropical Inns. These are intended to cater to the market for budget type hotels and could be anywhere on the main roads or business areas providing uniform type of amenities - simple and clean. These would be located at strategic points around the island and the management anticipates a good demand for such accommodation.

It is apparent that all hotels have an immediate positive impact on the economy and environment of the area in which they are located, by generating jobs, helping local artisans and markets, leading to the expansion of the town itself.

Tropical Leisure Management also has Enclaves that have bigger impacts in mind. These Enclaves would be developed with golf courses over large areas. Situated close by would be the golf villas which would be for sale. "We would acquire sufficient land to ensure that we do not intrude on the villagers," Ms. Fillippin stresses.

To assist with these projects the management plans to bring in international expertise to work with the same Sri Lankan architect Anton Jacob who designed the Elephant Corridor.

"Sri Lanka will be marketed as it has never been before," Ms. Filippin says, adding that the country has tremendous potential to blossom as a tourist destination. A time frame of 24-36 months for most of the projects, extending to five years for the major units is envisaged.

Revealing ways of showcasing Sri Lanka, Ms. Filippin says, "Visitors think of Kandy only with regard to the Temple of the Tooth. Its art, craft, Kandyan dancing and drumming, all should be experienced as well."

Further, the country has great potential that needs to be developed - "Serious water sports, marinas, jetties, golf courses, bird walks as close as Rajagiriya, promenades on Galle Road where people can have tea, etc," she visualises. Other countries have done it all but we have enough to last us for several hundred years.

"The diversity that Sri Lanka presents - no other island can provide within a day's travel. And we have good infrastructure to develop this." Prior to settling in Sri Lanka, Ms. Filippin has worked in Bali (tourism), Seychelles (tours and travels) and Germany (Art Gallery and Restaurant) and brings with her several years of experience to conceptualise the projects being planned here in Sri Lanka.

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