Over 316 new hotel projects granted approval | Daily News

Over 316 new hotel projects granted approval

Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga said, some 316 new hotel projects have been granted the final approval so far while 130 projects are under construction and 161 are in operation.

Speaking at the 39th graduation ceremony of Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management, the minister said the number of rooms for which final approval has been granted stands at 17,990.

According to Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) statistics, accommodation establishments registered with SLTDA as at March 31, 2018, stands at 2,131. Of which, 141 were tourist hotels. Also among them, 20 were five- star hotels, 892 guest houses, 378 home stay units and 348 bungalows.”

In addition, total registered room inventory stands at 36,133, with classified tourist hotels in the 1-5 star categories having the highest inventory of 12,828 rooms. “The number of hotels coming up in the city is unbelievable”, the minister said adding that, “the government is seriously thinking whether we should limit the number of hotels, coming up in the city and encourage them to set up their projects in the outstations.”

The minister also reiterated that the government is fully committed for the development of the tourism sector, especially to spread tourism in rural geographies. To this end, regional airports are being developed and upgraded.


Add new comment