ITC Ratnadipa Hotel owner optimistic about Sri Lanka’s tourism potential

Says Sri Lanka’s economy is now  in the right direction with macro stability coming in   

By Kelum Bandara

Sanjiv Puri, the immediate past President of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Chairman and Managing Director of ITC Ltd which also operates ITC Ratnadipa Hotel in Sri Lanka, says Sri Lanka’s economy is now in the right direction with macro stability coming in.   

He is currently in Sri Lanka leading a delegation of a dozen Indian business leaders for high level engagements. In an interview with Daily Mirror, Mr. Puri said that a strong focus on stability usher in a new era of economic development.   

Commenting on the economic potential of Sri Lanka, he said that tourism is an area that Sri Lanka has got phenomenal strengths - some of the natural beauty and the natural advantages you have.   

“They are unparalleled, unique. Even the hotel that we have got here, the kind of views - they are unique and iconic. Sri Lanka has a lot of strengths. It has a very strong culture of welcoming tourists. It has got much to offer also in terms of heritage. I understand, two to three million tourists come to Sri Lanka. The potential is much more. India is the largest source market. Within India, we see outbound tourism. There are 30 million tourists. But within India, the number of people travelling from one place to another is 700 million,” 

he said.