|
|
Sri Lanka's Wildlife "Miraculously Unaffected"
Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka's wildlife parks -- 15 national parks covering more than 5000 square kilometres of the country -- emerged relatively untouched by the tsunami.
Only a small section of Yala National Park in the south was affected.
The park - which has one of the highest densities of leopards anywhere in the world -- reopened to tourists on January 5 and is fully operational.
Wildlife in the area appears to have had the benefit of a sixth sense which enabled them to move to high ground before the waves hit the island, said Wildlife Specialist, Mr Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne.
During four days that he spent looking for survivors in the south of the country he did not see any dead animals, only dead fish.
"The media, especially television coverage, may give the impression that the entire island is devastated or at least that all of coastal tourism is destroyed. This is clearly not so," he said.
All of our national parks, which showcase a wide variety of animals - elephants, bears, deer, crocodiles - are fine. Wildlife tourism will be one of the cornerstones of the recovery, providing job security for thousands in local communities.
Airline Boss Boosts Recovery Effort
Mr Jurgen Marbach, Managing Director of LTU, one of Germany's largest holiday airlines, flew into the capital Colombo yesterday (January 6, 2005) to reinforce his airline's commitment to tourism in Sri Lanka.
"The main purpose of my visit is to prove, not only to the Germans, but also to the Austrians and Europeans in general, that it is safe again to visit Sri Lanka, said Mr Marbach who oversees the operation of four flights per week to Colombo from Munich, Dusseldorf.
"While LTU must present an objective picture of the situation on the ground, I believe there is a good story to be told about how Sri Lanka is recovering, how the tourism industry is rapidly reinventing itself and what is now on offer.
"I am myself, very, very optimistic about the future of tourism in Sri Lanka."
Grand Old Ladies of Hospitality Unaffected
The 'Grande Dames" of Sri Lankan hospitality, the Galle Face Hotel in the centre of Colombo and Mt Lavinia Hotel just south of the capital, were both untouched by the waves and remain fully operational.
"We did see a surge in the sea but only a small area of our beach was affected," said Mr Sanath Ukwatte, the Chairman and Managing Director of Mt Lavinia Hotels.
"I am pleased to report that the grand old lady is safe and well," he said.
A favourite with British and European travellers, Mt Lavinia Hotel was established in 1806 as the residence of the then British Governor of Sri Lanka, Sir Thomas Maitland.
For the past 198 years, the hotel has played host to royalty, celebrities and writers from all over the world.
Above information is obtained from the Sri Lankan Tourist Board.
|
|
