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Looking to unwind? Forget the hotels
By Marisa de Silva
If you're planning a quiet weekend holiday at some tranquil resort, you may need to think again. Lankans looking forward to a weekend-out with their families are quite likely to be disappointed this holiday season as most of the leading hotels are fully booked and likely to remain so.

But isn't it the 'off season' you may ask. Yes, indeed, but tourism seems to have taken a turn for the better, despite the country's economic and political woes.

Assistant Manager, John Keells Holdings Hotel Management Services, Kerini Victoria, said most Keells' hotels were fully booked. She said the large numbers of locals patronising their hotels on weekends, was due to many relatives coming down on vacation from overseas. However, at this time, last year as well, their hotels' occupancy levels had been the same, she said.

Earlier, hotels had to give attractive discounts and special packages to lure locals, but now Sri Lankans are willing to pay the full rates. "As long as peace lasts, the hotel industry will no doubt, progressively improve," Kerini said.

Promotions Manager, Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings, Pradeep de Alwis also said most of their hotels were fully booked, but mainly by foreign tourists. The foreign market has improved so much that of late, they have found it quite difficult to accept local reservations, Mr. de Alwis said. There's been a vast improvement from last year, he said, which was quite unexpected given that it is the Olympic season and usually there is a lull during this time, he added. But, foreign arrivals seem to be on the rise, perhaps due to the ascent of the Indian tourist market, he says.

The local market has never outnumbered the foreign market in occupancy, said Lalin de Mel, Director Marketing, Jetwing Hotels Ltd., adding that local tourists usually act as a filler.

But tour operators have been doing exceptionally well, even though this is usually the off-season, he said. In some of their hotels, they have even had to turn away Sri Lankans coming in for the Sunday buffet.

Foreign nationals with resident visas are given local rates, so they too are counted as part of the local market, he said. So, if you are looking to unwind for a weekend you may have to explore options other than the usual hotel break.

More tourist arrivals
There has definitely been an increase in tourist arrivals this year, said K. Yanaratnam, Statistician, Sri Lanka Tourist Board, adding, that compared to 500,000 arrivals last year, they estimate more than 550,000 arrivals this year. Usually the July-August time is referred to as the 'mini-peak' season, and ever since the Ceasefire Agreement, a substantial number of tourists have come into the country, Mr. Yanaratnam said.

Many Lankans too frequent hotels now, he said. As much as 15-20% of hotel occupancy around the country is by locals and expatriates. It could possibly be due to an increase in income, especially as expat spending patterns are different to the locals, he said.

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