A landslide win for Villa Hotels & Resorts at Maldives Travel Awards 2012

Achievement is the utmost reward of hard work and dedication. The team at Villa Group is very familiar with the two phrases “hard work” and “dedication”. This has been proven in the MATATO Maldives Travel Awards 2012. We have won 7 outstanding awards for our properties Sun Island Resort & Spa, Paradise Island Resort & Spa and Villa Airport Mamigili. With the Leading conference center & resort, diving and the most supportive resort...

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Ebert Silvas offer special packages for Kandy Esela Perehera

Sri Lanka Tourism in collaboration with Ebert Silvas’ offer special luxury packages for both foreign and local tourists to view the Kandy Esela Perehera, known to be one of Asia’s most spectacular cultural pageants. The packages are organized to view both Kumbal and the Randoli Pereheras from the July 23rd to August 1st 2012. The Esala Perehera is a glittering festival of lights and colours with magnificent elephants and vibrant drummers...

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Eastern Hotel Developers redefines simple comfort with Kothmale Holiday Resort

Eastern Hotel Developers have announced holiday offerings said to “encourage travelers to escape the warm temperatures and indulge in the chilly hill side atmosphere with amazing specials”. Nestled between pine-clad mountains just half an hour away from Kandy Town, the Kotmale Holiday Resort is a quaint resort which redefines simple comfort. The property features the essence of quiet comfort, but with modern amenities such as wireless internet...

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The Haven at Lankanfinolhu - Newest addition to Villa Hotels

Standing clearly above the rest, The Haven at Lankanfinolhu, is a heavenly retreat. Just 20 minutes from the airport lies The Haven facing the majestic emerald backdrop of the Indian Ocean. The Haven is a 62 room resort entirely built on stilts protruding out of the turquoise shallow water in the lagoon awaiting those seeking the ultimate vacation. The Haven offers excellent cuisine and choice. Sleek, contemporary and lustrous,The Haven offers...

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Cinnamon Citadel Modern, yet traditional

Having two feathers already in its cap, Cinnamon Resorts welcomes its newest member Cinnamon Citadel to the family. Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, the hospitality brand of John Keells Holdings represents a chain of modern hotels vibrant in colour, indulgent in hospitality and committed to going the extra mile to satisfy customer needs. The very first resort of the 'Cinnamon Resorts' chain was Cinnamon Lodge Habarana and Cinnamon Beywas added...

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Hulhule Island Hotel welcomes guests to the Maldives

Hulhule Island Hotel is known for its classy and comfortable accommodation, with 136 guest rooms falling into various categories. The rooms have a panoramic view of the exotic Indian Ocean in various shades of blue. All the rooms have been provided with the most modern and functional amenities, a tea/coffee making machine, a mini bar stocked with selected delicacies and a few categories also have vintage cheese and a wine cooler pre-stocked...

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Maldives accepting requests for management of Vodamulaa island

The Maldives Tourism Development Corporation Plc (MTDC) announced that they are accepting requests from Maldivian and foreign individuals, partnerships, and companies to submit written proposals, under the Request for Proposal (RFP) , for the management and operation of Vodamulaa island in the Gaafu Alifu Atoll. Vodamulaa is leased by the government of Maldives for the development of 150-room resort. Vodamulla is situated in the southern region...

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Government confident of meeting 2012 tourism goals

Maldives tourism authorities remain confident the country will meet its ambition to welcome one million visitors to the country during 2012 despite ongoing “political turmoil” in the Indian Ocean over the last year. The country plans over the next 12 months to hold a number of celebrations to commemorate 40 years since its travel industry was founded. Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Ahmed Adheeb has told media in a press conference...

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Island Hideaway and Lily Beach, Maldives win at WTA

Island Hideaway and Lily Beach in the Maldives have achieved two highly coveted awards in this year’s World Travel Awards Asia, Australasia & Indian Ocean 2012; with Island Hideaway receiving the award for Indian Ocean’s Best Boutique Hotel and Lily Beach receiving the award for Indian Ocean’s Best Family Resort. The awards were held at the InterContinental Singapore on 18th October 2012. “We are extremely pleased and honored to have been...

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Dusit Thani Maldives recognized by EarthCheck

In an important milestone, the environmental performance of Dusit Thani Maldives has been recognized by EarthCheck; the travel and tourism industry’s leading environmental management, bench-marking and certification company. EarthCheck operates the world’s most scientifically rigorous bench-marking program and measures key indicators such as energy and water consumption, total waste production, and community commitment to provide a holistic...

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Tinie Tempah takes over the ocean floor at Subsix, NIYAMA Maldivesti

Global superstar Tinie Tempah pumped the ocean floor with his high energy, live performance six metres below sea level at the launch of Subsix, the world’s first underwater music club at NIYAMA Maldives on October 27th, 2012. The event was broadcasted live on Ustream with people tuning in from all over the world. During his performance, Tinie gave a shout out to everyone watching, Per AQUUM and the team at NIYAMA for the incredible experience...

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Maldives accepting proposals for management of Herathera Island on Seenu Atoll

Maldives Tourism Development Corporation Plc (MTDC) requests both Maldivian and foreign parties to submit written proposals under the Request for Proposal (RFP) dated October 16, 2012 (REF no: MTDC/2012/HIR-RFP/01) for the management/operation of Herathera Island, Seenu Atoll, an island leased by the government of Maldives. Herathera is situated in the southern-most tip of Maldives and is 10 minutes by speed boat from the Gan International...

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Taj Maldives voted world’s second best hotel

The Taj Exotica Resort and Spa in the Maldives has been rated the second best among 100 hotels in the world by a US survey. The Taj Exotica is one of six hotels across the globe run by the Mumbai-based Taj Group that have bagged honours in various categories of the Conde Nast Traveller (CNT) USA Readers Choice Awards. The Taj Exotica also bagged the top honour in the best 15 resorts in Asia. A world-renowned resort and spa, the Taj Exotica...

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Indians top list of tourists to Sri Lanka

Indian tourists far outnumber people from the rest of the countries visiting Sri Lanka. This has again been confirmed after the September 2012 numbers were compiled and put out by the Sri Lanka Tourism. In September this year, a total of 71,111 tourists visited Sri Lanka. Of this, 13,888 (19.5 per cent) were Indians. The next largest group, country-wise, was from the United Kingdom, 8586. While the overall number of tourist arrivals from India...

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‘RED CLIFFS’ Heaven on Hill

There are only four or five locations in the entire costal line in Sri Lanka that has the higher elevated land just by bay or beach. Tangalle, Trinco, Yala and Mirissa are some of the outstanding 'off cliff' places in the Lanka's tourism map . Mirissa Red Cliff Bay is one of the best beach locations in the world. Mirissa Red Cliff was portrayed over a hundred years ago in 1881 in water colours by Ernst Haeckel the famous German painter, when...

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Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru relaunches as all pool villa resort

Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, the first Banyan Tree hotel in the Maldives, reopened on 1 September 2012 after renovations to improve each villa experience; introducing an outdoor pool and jet pool along with a day bed in the private garden of each villa and enhancing the interiors, garden, yoga pavilion and decking area. The aim for the guest experience is to create a mini private garden oasis on an exotic desert island, providing the comfort of...

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Royal Island Resort & Spa wins Indian Ocean's Luxury Romantic Hotel 2012

Royal Island Resort & Spa  has been awarded as Luxury Romantic Hotel  in the Indian Ocean at the World Luxury Hotel and Spa Awards 2012 ; the pinnacle of achievement for Luxury Hotels & Spas worldwide, which was celebrated in a glamorous extravaganza in Malaysia on October 13th, 2012.  During the extravagant ceremony held in Pan Pacific Kuala Lumpur International Airport Hotel, some of the world’s most sought after hotels,...

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Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives Win Prestigious Awards at World Travel Awards 2012

Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives, has been named as the Indian Ocean’s Leading Spa Resort and Maldives’ Leading Luxury Resort at the World Travel Awards 2012, a red-carpet gala awards ceremony that took place in beautiful Singapore last night, as part of Travel Rave 2012 – the region’s premier travel and tourism gathering under the patronage of the Singapore Tourism Board. Rewarding and celebrating excellence in all sectors of the travel and tourism...

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Four Seasons Maldives wins prestigious Conde’ Nast travel awards

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts CEO Katie Taylor yesterday received two prestigious Conde’ Nast World Savers Awards, on behalf of the company’s resorts in the Maldives. Four Seasons Kuda Huraa and Landu Giraavaru resorts have been awarded the Conde’ Nast World Savers Awards in the categories of ‘Wildlife Conservation’, as well as the overall ‘Doing it all’ award. “It’s in Four Seasons’ DNA to take steps to support the local community and environment...

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Emerging Tourism Trends in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) undertook an airport survey of departing foreign tourists from Sri Lanka from January to June 2011, and the results were published last week. A descriptive sample cross-section of tourists was used in the study, and information was gathered by direct interviews by trained personnel. The total sample size was 4,500, covering 11 market groups. This article attempts to analyze some of the more...

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Wildlife tourism in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has always been well known for its high level of biodiversity and wildlife. It is rated as one of the world’s 34 biodiversity hot spots (Conservation International) and has the distinction of having established possibly the world’s earliest wild life reserves, when King Devanapiyatissa created a sanctuary in 3rd century BC, in the south of the country (Yala), where animals would be protected. (The National Atlas of Sri Lanka) As identified,...

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Maleeh backs plan to jointly promote Maldives-Lanka tourism

Deputy Minister for Tourism Mohamed Maleeh Jamal has backed President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik's proposal to the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the two countries to promote tourism jointly. Maleeh said that the brand of tourism promoted by Sri Lanka and that of the Maldives are different thus no conflict would arise from both countries conducting tourism promotion together. “Maldivian tourism and Sri Lankan tourism are...

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Exploring Sri Lanka's tea estates

Sitting back with a cuppa, you could hardly be further away from the tea estates and their green oceans which cover the slopes in and around the city of Ratnapura in Sri Lanka. Haveeru's Ali Naafiz goes on a two-day journey to search for some unique blends of pure Sri Lankan Tea. When I was asked by a friend to join him and his crew on a trip to document the tea plantations in Sri Lanka, I was so excited to see the much-hyped estates for the...

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A FLOATING GOLF COURSE? IT COULD BE COMING SOON TO THE MALDIVES

When you’re playing the new course planned for the Maldives in a few years, beware of the water on 1 … and 2 … and 3 … and 4 … Golf course designers are a borderline crazy breed to begin with, but even by their standards, this is off the wall: plans for an entire floating golf course in the Maldives. The creation of the Maldivian government, Troon Golf and Waterstudio, a Dutch architecture firm, the $520 million course is designed to combat...

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TOURISM ASSESSMENT OF THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION

(eTN) – Much is being discussed on an ongoing basis on the state of tourism in the world and this also covers the Indian Ocean region. The yield from tourism, the offers launched to attract tourists, visitor arrival numbers, and comments posted by respective tourism trade members are constantly being monitored by tour operators, press, and investors. During the last couple of weeks, offers to coincide with EID were being floated and analyzed,...

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