Business
East coast brimming with tourism potential says Sun Siyam boss
By Saman Indrajith
Over the past two years, Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has grown exponentially, and this growth could be further amplified if authorities increase the visibility of the Eastern Province, a region brimming with untapped potential and featuring historical landmarks such as the old city of Batticaloa, pristine beaches like Arugam Bay, renowned for surfing, and the stunning destination of Pasikudah, says General Manager of Sun Siyam Pasikudah, Arshed Refai.
In an interview with the Sunday Island on the sidelines of the 11th edition of the Sancharaka Udawa exhibition at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Exhibition Halls at BMICH on May 17 and 18, Refai said that in contrast to the well-known tourist destinations in the south, like Galle, the eastern area has a lot of undiscovered tourist potential. By promoting sites such as the old city of Batticaloa and beaches like Arugam Bay and Pasikudah, the nation’s tourist industry may become more diversified and less dependent on the south and center, resulting in a more equal distribution of revenue from tourism throughout the nation.
He says that promoting post-conflict economic development and recovery in the East depends on growing tourism. An increase in tourism may result in the building of infrastructure, the creation of jobs, and the improvement of regional economies. Furthermore, by providing the necessary funding and incentives for conservation activities, promoting the East can help to preserve its distinctive cultural heritage and natural environment. By concentrating on the East, Sri Lanka can provide a more extensive and diverse travel experience, drawing in a larger clientele and guaranteeing the industry’s sustained growth.
Sun Siyam Pasikudah General Manager Arshed Refai
Excerpts from the interview:
Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself?
A:Of course. I’m proud to be serving as the General Manager of the boutique iconic five-star retreat, Sun Siyam Pasikudah. I have been in the hospitality industry for quite some time now, counting over a decade with Sun Siyam Resorts. I work closely with the CEO and the Group General Manager of the resort group. I began my career in the field of technology but gradually, over time, I found my passion and transitioned into operations, working my way up from being an operations manager back in 2020.
Q: Is tourism picking up in the Eastern Province? Tell us more.
A: We certainly see a spike in tourist arrivals to the East, especially with various properties, including ours, doing their part in promoting the destination and its unique culture and experiences. That being said, the destination itself could use increased visibility and awareness, and there are plenty of resources and attributes in the region that can be developed to cater to the potential demand.
Q:What are the challenges, and how can the industry overcome them?
A:In my honest opinion, I think infrastructure is one of the key challenges when it comes to Sri Lanka. Having a well-developed network of roads and access points such as domestic airports and regular domestic flights at reasonable cost would certainly help boost tourism and bring in an equitable level of tourists and revenue distributed throughout the country.
Q: What do you think the industry should do to promote tourism in the East?
A: We need to boost destination promotion, and more so, increase visibility and awareness about what the East Coast has to offer. Sadly, I have met many Sri Lankans who aren’t even aware of the East and its attractions. When it comes to our sunny beaches, it’s always the South that wins the top spot. Of course, it should, but we also have some marvelous beaches along the stretches of Pasikudah, Trincomalee, and even Jaffna.
Q: Can you tell us about Sun Siyam Resorts and why Pasikudah?
A: Sun Siyam Resorts has its roots in the Maldives, with five luxury private-island properties consisting of one four-star and four five-star properties. Our property at Pasikudah is the first overseas hotel outside of the Maldives. We are all owned and managed by Sun Siyam Group, led by the visionary owner Ahmed Siyam Mohamed. We chose Pasikudah for its pristine, untouched beaches and tranquility.
The destination speaks for itself. Sun Siyam Pasikudah has been in operation for a decade now. During the unprecedented times of COVID-19, we had to cut back, but this gave us plenty of time to reflect on our purpose and direction. We completely shut business and underwent an extensive renovation. With a team of very talented local staff and in collaboration with the designers at Studio Sixty7, we successfully pulled this off. In November last year, we re-opened our doors to our stunningly renovated property.
Sun Siyam stall at the 11th edition of Sri Lanka’s largest travel and tourism fair, “Sancharaka Udawa 2024” at BMICH organised by the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and supported by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB)
Q: Let’s talk about your market.
A: Our markets have primarily been Europe, CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States—the confederation of countries that used to form the Soviet Union), the Far East, and Asia. We also have many locals visiting us. We are looking at tourism picking up at a much better pace than before, and we are quite optimistic about our projections.
Q: As a resort, how would you explain your role in promoting tourism in the East?
A: As a boutique resort, we do everything in our power to promote the East Coast through several channels that serve different markets and audiences. We have outreach campaigns and promotions together with our properties in the Maldives. We also took part in this year’s most anticipated travel and tourism fair, Sancharaka Udawa 2024, with a stall that projected a part of our property. We are also planning on organizing international events at the property in the future, This will help boost awareness of the region and its beaches, culture, food, and people.
To catalyze bilateral trade and investment and drive regional economic integration, the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Mumbai facilitated a series of high-level strategic engagements between The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and leading Indian commercial institutions on May 13 and 14.
The delegation from The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was led by its Chairman Krishan Balendra, CEO of John Keells Holdings Pvt Ltd and comprised a distinguished group of Sri Lankan industry leaders from Hirdaramani Group, Maliban Biscuit Manufactories (Pvt) Ltd, Sierra Cables PLC, A. Baur & Co. (Pvt) Ltd, Jetwing Travels (Pvt) Ltd, Ceylon Biscuits Ltd, Hayleys PLC, Vidullanka PLC, MAS India Clothing (Pvt) Ltd, Tudawe Brothers (Pvt) Ltd, David Pieris Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, Bank of Ceylon, Aitken Spence PLC, LTL Holdings Ltd. and Orel IT Pvt. Ltd.
On May 13, The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce jointly hosted the ‘India–Sri Lanka Business Forum: Partnering in Sri Lanka’s Growth and Investment’ and an exclusive CEO interaction in Mumbai. The forum convened senior government officials, policymakers, and industry leaders from both countries.
These included, among others, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India Mahishini Colonne; Consul General of Sri Lanka in Mumbai Priyanga Wickramasinghe; Senior Economic Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka Duminda Hulangamuwa; Secretary (Protocol, FDI, Diaspora & Outreach) and Chief of Protocol Government of Maharashtra Rajesh Ravindra Gawande; Co-chairman, CII Western Region Sub-committee on International Trade & Investment and Chief Executive Officer, Polycab India Ltd. Anurag Agarwal; Chairman, CII Western Region Sub-Committee on Tourism and Hospitality and Executive Director, Kamat Hotels India Ltd Vishal Kamat and Secretary General & CEO of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Shiran Fernando.
Conversations centered on accelerating cross-border cooperation across high-priority sectors, including technology, manufacturing, healthcare, renewable energy, and digital transformation.
On May 14, the delegation engaged in productive Business-to-Business sessions with the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, culminating in the formal renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and IMC. The delegation also participated in an interactive session hosted by the World Trade Center (WTC) Mumbai and the All India Association of Industries (AIAI).
The two-day mission concluded with a robust exchange of views cementing a strong foundation for sustained bilateral collaboration and paving the way for a new era of industrial synergy between Colombo and Mumbai. (Consulate General of SL, Mumbai)
Demonstrating its commitment to supporting the nation’s next phase of economic transformation, Commercial Bank of Ceylon has become one of the first banks in Sri Lanka to enter into an agreement to establish a fully-fledged branch at Port City Colombo, marking a significant step in the Bank’s strategic expansion into the country’s emerging international financial hub.
The agreement was signed by Sanath Manatunge, Managing Director/CEO of Commercial Bank, and Xiong Hongfeng, Managing Director of CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd. The partnership further reinforces Commercial Bank’s position at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s evolving financial landscape.
The proposed branch will function as a fully-fledged banking branch, offering a full spectrum of products and services tailored to the needs of corporates, investors, businesses and retail customers operating within the Port City Colombo ecosystem. These will include digital banking facilities, trade services, foreign currency transactions, corporate banking solutions, deposits, lending, card services and remittance facilities.
By establishing a presence within Port City Colombo, the Bank said it aims to further strengthen its ability to support cross-border business and investment flows while positioning itself to meet the sophisticated requirements of global investors, multinational corporates and high-net-worth individuals expected to operate within the Special Economic Zone.
Commenting on this ground breaking initiative, Sanath Manatunge, Managing Director/CEO of Commercial Bank said the Bank’s decision to establish a fully-fledged branch within Port City Colombo reflects both its long-term confidence in the project and its readiness to support the evolving needs of a globally integrated financial ecosystem.
“As Sri Lanka’s largest private sector bank with a strong track record in serving corporates, international clients and high-value businesses, we see Port City Colombo as a pivotal development in the country’s economic future,” he said. “Our presence within this Special Economic Zone will enable us to seamlessly support cross-border transactions, facilitate international trade and investment, and deliver world-class banking solutions backed by advanced digital capabilities. Being one of the first banks to formalise plans for a full-service branch within Port City Colombo reaffirms our role as a pioneer in driving financial innovation and supporting national development.”
A 269-hectare extension of Sri Lanka’s central business district, Port City Colombo is being developed as a multi-service Special Economic Zone designed to serve as a regional financial centre, business and lifestyle hub. One of the largest public-private partnership projects in the country, it is envisioned as a catalyst for high-value investments, underpinned by advanced infrastructure, cutting-edge technology and a progressive regulatory framework.
“Our role as master developer goes beyond building the city itself. It is about creating the foundations for a functioning international business and financial hub,” said Mr Xiong Hongfeng, Managing Director of CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd. “The establishment of institutions such as Commercial Bank within Port City Colombo is an important part of that process, because it brings real operational depth and credibility into the ecosystem from an early stage. It reflects the broader momentum behind the project and the growing shift towards a more globally connected, investment-driven economy in Sri Lanka.”
Sri Lanka’s renowned specialty tea brand “Singharaja Wiry Tips,” produced by Lumbini Tea Valley Ceylon, has won two major accolades at the prestigious “The Leafies International Tea Awards” held recently at Fortnum and Mason in the United Kingdom.
The award-winning low-grown Ceylon tea secured the titles of “Best Ceylon Black Tea” and the overall “Best of All Black Teas,” emerging as the top black tea entered at the international competition.
With these latest honours, “Singharaja Wiry Tips” has now earned its 43rd and 44th international awards, further strengthening its reputation as one of the world’s most highly awarded black teas.
Classified as FBOPF EX SP (Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings Extra Special), the tea is named after its distinctive golden-tipped wiry leaves and unique flavour profile derived from the ecosystem surrounding the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Singharaja Rainforest, which borders the Lumbini plantation.
Lumbini Tea Valley’s latest innovation, “Lumbini Screw Buds,” also received high commendation at this year’s competition, highlighting the company’s continued excellence in producing premium Ceylon teas.
Chairman and Managing Director Chaminda Jayawardena, who accepted the awards in London, credited the achievement to the dedication of the Lumbini workforce and the support of nearly 1,800 tea farmers supplying high-quality green leaf harvested using the traditional “two leaves and a bud” method.
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