Life style

Bridging borders, building futures: SAFTA’s next chapter unfolds in Colombo

Published

5 months ago

2025/09/28

Red carpet welcome

Cinnamon Grand in Colombo was transformed into a dazzling celebration of South Asian Tourism when the South Asian Travel Awards (SATA) concluded with its signature gala dinner. Guests from Sri Lanka, Maldives, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan swept into the elegantly lit atrium, their black tie and national attire reflecting diversity. Now SATA has evolved from a trophy giving ceremony into a genuine networking hub for South Asia’s travel and hospitality industry, With its mix of glamour, gastronomy and genuine industry dialogue, the SATA Gala Dinner once again confirmed its place as the highest point of the South Asian Tourism calendar.

Tourism is one of South Asia’s most dynamic sectors, employing millions and serving as a key drive of national economies by spotlighting excellence, SATA helps set benchmarks for service, sustainability and innovation. It also provides global visibility for regional players – helping small, unique brands stand alongside international giants.

The ninth edition of South Asian Travel Awards unfolded in glamourous style recently in Colombo

This award ceremony is now a landmark in the region’s hospitality calendar. Delegates and nominees from across the region Sri Lanka, Maldives, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan gathered to celebrate the best in South Asian tourism.

This meeting provided a platform for participants to exchange ideas, address challenges, and explore strategies for sustainable growth and shared success across South Asia’s thriving tourism industry.

: Celebrating artistry behind borders

: Legends,icons and travel dignitaries

The conversation centered on how the region can collectively improve tourism offerings, foster stronger partnerships and deliver seamless world class experiences to travellers.

After discussions in the morning, guests moved seamlessly into an opulent gala dinner curated by the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, blending flavours from six nations for a gala night.

Nandini Lahe-Thapa – Retired Senior Director, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal recieving the honourary award

This year’s gala brought distinguished guests, eminent tourism authorities, esteemed partners and industry leaders from the region. Against the vibrant backdrop of Sri Lanka’s culture and heritage, the evening celebrated South Asia’s collective spirit of hospitality and innovation.

This year’s edition is all about resilience, innovation and shared future for South Asian Tourism. In the night of recognition and inspiration. 53 Gold Award Winners and 113 Silver Award Winners were honoured across diverse categories showcasing the very best of Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

The winners embodied not only service excellence and innovation but also resilience and unity that continue to elevate South Asia’s tourists industry to global prominence. Sri Lankan brands captured several of the night’s top awards underscoring the country’s growing reputation for authentic sustainable and innovative tourism experiences, Maldives retained its crown in the region as island paradise. Nepal’ s heritage hotels drew heartfelt applause. Around the ballroom new partnerships were forged as glasses clinked, selfies snapped and social media buzzed.

A key highlight of the evening was the conferral of the SATA – Faces of South Asia, a tribute to visionary leaders whose lifelong. lifelong contributors have shaped the region’s tourism and hospitality landscape.

This year’s honourees were – M/s Nandini Lahe Thapa. Retired Senior Director Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal, M/s Jyoti Mayal, former President Travel Agents Association of India, Mohamed Waheedudeen, Chairman, Bandos Island Resort, Republic of Maldives, Deshmanya D. Harry S. Jayawardena, Chairman Emeritus Aitken Spence (PLC) Sri Lanka. The Visitor Choice Awards reflecting the voice of global travellers were among the most anticipated recognition included, leading adventure destinations, Maldives, Leading Heritage Destination Bhutan, Leading Mice destination, Sri Lanka, leading wellness destination – Sri Lanka.

The SATA 2025 Grand Gala was not a celebration of winners, but a tribute to the entire region’s travel and hospitality fraternity with shared values of resilience, creativity and unity,

Suraj Khan- Vice President SATA

South Asia continues to strengthen its position on the global tourism map. As the curtain falls on another remarkable edition, SATA reaffirms its commitment to recognising excellence and inspiring growth in the years to come.

The South Asian Travel Awards (SATA), the region’s most prestigious platform celebrating excellence in travel, tourism, and hospitality, marked its 9th edition with a spectacular Grand Gala hosted at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo.

A key highlight of the evening was the conferral of the SATA – Faces of South Asia, a tribute to visionary leaders whose lifelong contributions have shaped the region’s tourism and hospitality landscape. This year’s honorees were:

Nandini Lahe-Thapa – Retired Senior Director, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal

Jyoti Mayal – Former President, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), India

Mohamed Waheeduddeen – Chairman, Bandos Island Resort, Republic of Maldives

Deshamanya D. Harry S. Jayawardena – Chairman Emeritus, Aitken Spence PLC, Sri Lanka

The Visitors’ Choice Awards, reflecting the voice of global travelers, were among the most anticipated recognitions of the evening. This year’s winners included:

Leading Adventure Destination – Maldives

Leading Heritage Destination – Bhutan

Leading MICE Destination – Sri Lanka

Leading Wellness Destination – Sri Lanka

This year’s Gold Awards honored the finest in South Asian hospitality, travel, and aviation. Some of the standout winners include:

Leading Travel Agent – Inbound: Aitken Spence Travels (Sri Lanka)

Leading Travel Agent – Outbound: Hayleys Travels Pvt Ltd (Sri Lanka)

South Asia’s Best General Managers: Ahmed Zahir (Angsana Velavaru, Maldives) · Digvijay Singh (Conrad Bengaluru, India) · Karthi VK (Holiday Inn Express Kathmandu Naxal, Nepal) · Khagendra Dahal (Hotel Tashi Yid-Wong Grand, Bhutan) · Kamal Munasinghe (Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Sri Lanka)

Leading Luxury Resort: The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

Leading Luxury Hotel: Shangri-La Colombo, Sri Lanka

Most Romantic Resort: You & Me Maldives

Leading Heritage Hotel/Resort: Zhiwaling Heritage, Bhutan

South Asia’s Best New Hotel/Resort: Hilton Kathmandu, Nepal

Leading All-Inclusive Resort: Heritance Aarah, Maldives

Leading Wellness & Spa Hotel/Resort: Heritance Ayurveda, Sri Lanka

Leading International Airline: SriLankan Airlines

Leading Tourist Transport Provider (Air): Trans Maldivian Airways (Pvt) Ltd, Maldives

These awards represent not only operational excellence but also the innovation and cultural richness that define South Asian tourism.

SATA extends heartfelt gratitude to its valued sponsors and partners, whose support has made this celebration of excellence possible:

Destination Partner: Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA)

Host Hotel: Cinnamon Grand Colombo

Platinum Partner: Honda Marine Maldives

Gold Partners: The Hawks Pvt Ltd, Velana International Airport, Allied Insurance Company of the Maldives

Silver Partners: Bizspoke, Renaatus

Airline Partner: SriLankan Airlines.

All News Advertisement

Life style

Salman Faiz leads with vision and legacy

Published

2 days ago

2026/02/15

Thilina Walpola

At the helm - blending heritage with vision

Salman Faiz has turned his family legacy into a modern sensory empire. Educated in London, he returned to Sri Lanka with a global perspective and a refined vision, transforming the family legacy into a modern sensory powerhouse blending flavours,colours and fragrances to craft immersive sensory experiences from elegant fine fragrances to natural essential oils and offering brand offerings in Sri Lanka. Growing up in a world perfumed with possibility, Aromatic Laboratories (Pvt) Limited founded by his father he has immersed himself from an early age in the delicate alchemy of fragrances, flavours and essential oils.

Salman Faiz did not step into Aromatic Laboratories Pvt Limited, he stepped into a world already alive with fragrance, precision and quiet ambition. Long before he became the Chairman of this large enterprise, founded by his father M. A. Faiz and uncle M.R. Mansoor his inheritance was being shaped in laboratories perfumed with possibility and in conversations that stretched from Colombo to outside the shores of Sri Lanka, where his father forged early international ties, with the world of fine fragrance.

Growing up amidst raw materials sourced from the world’s most respected fragrance houses, Salman Faiz absorbed the discipline of formulation and the poetry of aroma almost by instinct. When Salman stepped into the role of Chairman, he expanded the company’s scope from a trusted supplier into a fully integrated sensory solution provider. The scope of operations included manufacturing of flavours, fragrances, food colours and ingredients, essential oils and bespoke formulations including cosmetic ingredients. They are also leading supplier of premium fragrances for the cosmetic,personal care and wellness sectors Soon the business boomed, and the company strengthened its international sourcing, introduced contemporary product lines and extended its footprint beyond Sri Lanka’s borders.

Where raw materials transform into refined fragrance

Salman Faiz -carrying forward a legacy

Today, Aromatic Laboratories stands as a rare example of a second generation. Sri Lankan enterprise that has retained its soul while embracing scale and sophistication. Under Salman Faiz’s leadership, the company continues to honour his father’s founding philosophy that every scent and flavour carries a memory, or story,and a human touch. He imbibed his father’s policy that success was measured not by profit alone but the care taken in creation, the relationships matured with suppliers and the trust earned by clients.

“We are one of the leading companies manufacturing fragrances, dealing with imports,exports in Sri Lanka. We customise fragrances to suit specific applications. We also source our raw materials from leading French company Roberte’t in Grasse

Following his father, for Salman even in moments of challenge, he insisted on grace over haste, quality over conveniences and long term vision over immediate reward under Salman Faiz’s stewardship the business has evolved from a trusted family enterprise into a modern sensory powerhouse.

Now the company exports globally to France, Germany, the UK, the UAE, the Maldives and collaborates with several international perfumes and introduces contemporary products that reflect both sophistication and tradition.

We are one of the leading companies. We are one of the leading companies manufacturing fine and industrial fragrance in Sri Lanka. We customise fragrances to suit specific applications said Faiz

‘We also source our raw materials from renowned companies, in Germany, France, Dubai,Germany and many others.Our connection with Robertet, a leading French parfume House in Grasse, France runs deep, my father has been working closely with the iconic French company for years, laying the foundation for the partnership, We continue even today says Faiz”

Today this business stands as a rare example of second generation Sri Lankan entrepreneurship that retains its souls while embracing scale and modernity. Every aroma, every colour and every flavour is imbued with the care, discipline, and vision passed down from father to son – a living legacy perfected under Salmon Faiz’s guidance.

By Zanita Careem

Life style

Home coming with a vision

Published

2 days ago

2026/02/15

Thilina Walpola

Uruwela Estate team

Harini and Chanaka cultivating change

When Harini and Chanaka Mallikarachchi returned to Sri Lanka after more than ten years in the United States, it wasn’t nostalgia alone that they brought home . It was purpose.Beneath the polished resumes and strong computer science backgrounds lay something far more personal- longing to reconnect with the land, and to give back to the country that shaped their memories. From that quiet but powerful decision was born Agri Vision not just an agricultural venture but a community driven movement grounded in sustainability ,empowerment and heritage. They transform agriculture through a software product developed by Avya Technologies (Pvt Limited) Combining global expertise with a deep love for their homeland, they created a pioneering platform that empowers local farmers and introduce innovative, sustainable solutions to the country’s agri sector.

After living for many years building lives and careers in theUnited States, Harini and Chanaka felt a powerful pull back to their roots. With impressive careers in the computer and IT sector, gaining global experience and expertise yet, despite their success abroad, their hearts remained tied to Sri Lanka – connection that inspired their return where they now channel their technological know-how to advance local agriculture.

For Harini and Chanaka, the visionaries behind Agri Vision are redefining sustainable agriculture in Sri Lanka. With a passion for innovation and community impact, they have built Agri Vision into a hub for advanced agri solutions, blending global expertise with local insight.

In Sri Lanka’s evolving agricultural landscape, where sustainability and authenticity are no longer optional but essential. Harini and Chanaka are shaping a vision that is both rooted and forward looking. In the heart of Lanka’s countryside, Uruwela estate Harini and Chanaka alongside the ever inspiring sister Malathi, the trio drives Agri Vision an initiative that fuses cutting edge technology with age old agricultural wisdom. At the core of their agri philosophy lies two carefully nurtured brands artisan tea and pure cinnamon, each reflecting a commitment to quality, heritage and people.

Armed with global exposure and professional backgrounds in the technology sector,they chose to channel thier experiences into agriculture, believing that true progress begins at home.

: Avya Technologies (Pvt) ltd software company that developed Agri Vision

: Chanaka,Harini and Shakya Mallikarachchi and Malathi Malathi dias (middle)

But the story of Agri Vision is as much about relationships as it is about technology. Harini with her sharp analytical mind, ensures the operations runs seamlessly Chanaka, the strategist looks outward, connecting Agri Vision to globally best practices and Malathi is their wind behind the wings, ensures every project maintains a personal community focussed ethos. They cultivate hope, opportunity and a blueprint for a future where agriculture serves both the land and the people who depend on it .

For the trio, agriculture is not merely about cultivation, it is about connection. It is about understanding the rhythm of the land, respecting generations of farming knowledge, and that growth is shared by the communities that sustain it. This belief forms the backbone of Agro’s vision, one that places communities not only on the periphery, but at the very heart of every endeavour.

Artisan tea is a celebration of craft and origin sourced from selected growing regions and produced with meticulous attention to detail, the tea embodier purity, traceability and refinement, each leaf is carefully handled to preserve character and flavour, reflecting Sri Lanka’s enduring legacy as a world class tea origin while appealing to a new generation of conscious consumers complementing this is pure Cinnamon, a tribute to authentic Ceylon, Cinnamon. In a market saturated with substitutes, Agri vision’s commitment to genuine sourcing and ethical processing stands firm.

By working closely with cinnamon growers and adhering to traditional harvesting methods, the brands safeguards both quality and cultural heritage.

What truly distinguishes Harini and Chanake’s Agri Vision is their community approach. By building long term partnerships with smallholders. Farmers, the company ensures fair practises, skill development and sustainable livelihoods, These relationships foster trust and resilience, creating an ecosystem where farmers are valued stakeholders in the journey, not just suppliers.

Agri vision integrates sustainable practices and global quality standards without compromising authenticity. This harmony allows Artisan Tea and Pure Cinnamon to resonate beyond borders, carrying with them stories of land, people and purpose.

As the brands continue to grow Harini and Chanaka remain anchored in their founding belief that success of agriculture is by the strength of the communities nurtured along the way. In every leaf of tea and every quill of cinnamon lies a simple yet powerful vision – Agriculture with communities at heart.

By Zanita Careem

Life style

Marriot new GM Suranga

Published

2 days ago

2026/02/15

Thilina Walpola

Suranga new G. M. at Mariott

Courtyard by Marriott Colombo has welcomed Suranga Peelikumbura as its new General Manager, ushering in a chapter defined by vision, warmth, and global sophistication.

Suranga’s story is one of both breadth and depth. Over two decades, he has carried the Marriott spirit across continents, from the shimmering luxury of The Ritz-Carlton in Doha to the refined hospitality of Ireland, and most recently to the helm of Resplendent Ceylon as Vice President of Operations. His journey reflects not only international mastery but also a devotion to Sri Lanka’s own hospitality narrative.

What distinguishes Suranga is not simply his credentials but the philosophy that guides him. “Relationships come first, whether with our associates, guests, partners, or vendors. Business may follow, but it is the strength of these connections that defines us.” It is this belief, rooted in both global perspective and local heart, that now shapes his leadership at Courtyard Colombo.

At a recent gathering of corporate leaders, travel partners, and media friends, Suranga paid tribute to outgoing General Manager Elton Hurtis, hon oring his vision and the opportunities he created for associates to flourish across the Marriott world. With deep respect for that legacy, Suranga now steps forward to elevate guest experiences, strengthen community ties, and continue the tradition of excellence that defines Courtyard Colombo.

From his beginnings at The Lanka Oberoi and Cinnamon Grand Colombo to his leadership roles at Weligama Bay Marriott and Resplendent Ceylon, Suranga’s career is a testament to both resilience and refinement. His return to Marriott is not merely a professional milestone, it is a homecoming.