Journey Through Time - Tourism Sri Lanka

The Tourism Bureau was established as early as 1937 during the colonial period to promote Sri Lankan tourism. but its activities were interrupted by World War 11. Since 1948, when Sri Lanka achieved independence from the British, it has not focused on international tourism as it was subsequently not considered a component of the development strategy.

As a result, international tourist arrival was not a significant business until 1967 in Sri Lanka.

After identifying tourism as a key sector in economic development within the new national economic policy framework, the Sri Lankan government commissioned a study to prepare a ten-year master plan for tourism in 1966. This plan was developed with funding from USAID. Following this study the Sri Lankan government passed two acts The Tourist Board Act in 1966 and the Tourist Development Act in 1968 to establish institutional arrangements such as the Ceylon Tourist Board, The Ceylon Hotel School, and the Ceylon Hotels Corporation to engage in tourism promotion and development in Sri Lanka actively.

The Sri Lanka Tourist Board was established with a new tourism policy initiative in 1967, and international tourism rapidly expanded since then. The period 1967-1976 witnessed an average annual increase of 19% in the total overseas visitors to Sri Lanka, in 1977, after introducing the trade and exchange rate liberalizations.

Tourist arrivals increased further by an annual rate of 23% during the period 1977-1982.

Since the number of tourist visits in 1966 was low, attracting private-sector investors to tourism was challenging. Although Sri Lanka had an advantage in terms of the availability of a range of quality accommodation facilities throughout the country which were constructed during the British colonial rule. These facilities were not originally designed for tourism promotions but for the use of planters, the business community, and government officials.

Despite the country's abundance of natural, cultural, and heritage-based resources for tourism development, it took 18 years after independence for Sri Lankan policymakers to grasp the importance of tourism in economic development.

As a result, the Sri Lankan government provided the private sector with an incentive package that included fiscal and financial discounts, land at concessional rates, and infrastructure co-provisions.

This resulted in Sri Lanka's first tourism boom, as well as a first wave of new hotel construction, primarily along the southern shore. Sri Lanka's tourist visitors increased dramatically between 1966 and 1977.

A few of the Oldest Hotel in Sri Lanka

Galle Face Hotel

The Galle Face Hotel, founded in 1864, is one of the oldest hotels east of Suez.[1] It is located on Galle Road, Colombo.

The hotel was originally built by four British entrepreneurs in 1864. Its name derives from the stretch of lawn which it faces, known as the Galle Face Green. It began as a Dutch villa called Galle Face House. Land for the hotel's expansion was purchased between 1870 and 1894. In 1894, architect Edward Skinner completed the design of the hotel's current south wing, and the property has remained largely unchanged until the present day, though with many extensive restorations. (Wikipedia)

Hotel Suisse Kandy

The building was originally the residence of Pilimatala Gabada Nilame, the Chief Minister of the Royal Granary, and was built in the 17th century.

After generations of different occupations, In 1924 the building was acquired by a Swiss lady, Jeanne Louisa Burdayron, who operated it as a guest house before it became a hotel. At one stage the building was also used as a maternity ward for planters' wives. During World War II (between April 1944 and 1945), it was used as the headquarters of the South East Asia Command, under the command of Lord Louis Mountbatten. (Wikipedia)

Grand Oriental Hotel or GOH (also previously known as the Taprobane Hotel)

The original building on the site was a simple, single-story structure with an open verandah to the street, inhabited by a Dutch Governor. In 1837 it was converted into barracks for the British Army. In 1873 it was converted into a hostelry, with reconstruction commencing on 23 February and completing on 27 October, of the same year.

The Grand Oriental Hotel was officially opened on 5 November 1875 and had 154 luxury and semi-luxury rooms. The owners were Colombo Hotels Company Ltd, who advertised it to potential customers with the claim that it was "the only fully European owned and fully equipped hotel in the East" and "managed by experienced Europeans" (Wikipedia)

Mount Lavinia Hotel

?It is recognized as one of the oldest and most famous hotels in the country. It has been continuously operating as a hotel since 1947 but was initially constructed as the governor's residence in 1806.

In 1805 Sir Thomas Maitland was appointed as the second governor of British Ceylon. He had acquired land at "Galkissa" (Mount Lavinia) and decided in 1806 to construct a personal residence there. (Wikipedia)