Shippers’ Academy workshop on new Inland Revenue Act on Friday

Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister presented the new income tax bill to parliament in September 2017. Accordingly, the corporate and income tax laws will come into effect from 1st April 2018.

Shipping container fleet market to reach US$14.4 bn

Transparency Market Research (TMR), a market intelligence company, has found that the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) will be 5.70 percent during the period from 2017 to 2025.

CASA stresses importance of staying competitive in face of digitalization

Sri Lanka is driving towards establishing itself as a regional Maritime and Logistics hub. 

Achieving 4mn tourist arrivals by 2020 difficult without proper connectivity: Dhammika

Vallibel Group Chairman Dhammika Perera spoke this week at the Tourism Leaders’Summit and International Research Symposium 2017 at the BMICH held to celebrate the World Tourism Day raised serious concerns about achieving the four million arrivals target set by the government.

Sri Lanka captures Gujarati attention at Travel and Tourism Fair

Sri Lanka Tourism clinched the best decorative stand - international awards at the Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF) fair, which was held recently in Ahmadabad, India. 

Oman Air SCM certification to ISO 9001:2015 standards

Oman Air’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) has been awarded the ISO 9001:2015 certification by Bureau Veritas under UKAS accreditation, with certificate number IND17.4532 U/Q. ISO 9001:2015 is the latest internationally recognised standard for quality management, ensuring that organisations have proven processes in place to meet customer requirements.

Vista Rooms continues Sri Lanka expansion, 1000 properties by 2018

Vista Rooms, South Asia’s largest chain of affordable stays, is on track to onboard 1000 properties with over 10,000 rooms by the end of 2018.

Emirates and flydubai partnership announces first codeshare routes

Following the commencement of their partnership, Emirates and flydubai announced that Emirates will expand its network to 29 flydubai destinations across  three continents.

Sri Lanka hosts inaugural IATO Outbound Convention

The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) held its inaugural Outbound Convention from 2nd to 4th October 2017 in Sri Lanka. This was also the first time the association had a convention outside of India.

Emirates SkyCargo helps Sri Lankan seafood exports to Europe

Sri Lanka’s edible fish exporters are experiencing a boom following the resumption of shipments to Europe, and Emirates SkyCargo is playing a key role in helping them capitalise on this resurgence. The freight division of the award-winning airline reports that it is currently transporting about 100 tons of edible fish a week from Colombo to markets in Europe and the USA, a noteworthy increase over export volumes that were prevailing before

Jet Airways announces thrilling holiday options with JetEscapes

Jet Airways, India’s full service, premier international airline, has unveiled a host of exciting domestic and international holidays for guests planning their winter getaway.

Qatar Airways chief sets plans to expand fleet

REUTERS: Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said the carrier plans to expand its fleet, stepping up orders for Boeing Co aircraft and accepting four Airbus aircraft that it had cancelled in July because of delays due to supplier problems.

KLM to increase Colombo-Amsterdam frequency

Due to popular demand, KLM will increase the frequency of its flights between Colombo and Amsterdam to three times a week in late October.

Emirates wins Best Entertainment award at 2017 APEX Passenger Choice Awards

Emirates clinched the Passenger Choice award for Best Entertainment at the 2017 APEX Passenger Choice Awards held in Long Beach, California, USA this week. Emirates’ president, Sir Tim Clark, was honoured with the CEO Lifetime Achievement Award.

Leading global relocations player Santa Fe collaborates with EFL relocations

Pioneering freight and logistics provider EFL (Expolanka Freight) has officially partnered with global family moving giant Santa Fe  Relocation Services.

Tony Douglas appointed Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Aviation Group

The Chairman of Etihad Aviation Group, Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei, today confirmed the appointment of Tony Douglas as Group Chief Executive Officer, who will join the company in January 2018.

SIA and Lufthansa Group collaborate to launch on 1st October

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Lufthansa Group have confirmed the 1st of October as the launch date for their joint venture co-operation covering flights between Singapore, Australia and Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium.

Walkers Colombo Shipyard launches second vessel Seagulf 2

Walkers Colombo Shipyard (Pvt.) Ltd, a subsidiary of MTD Walkers PLC, has successfully completed the construction of its second vessel, a 10 tonne bollard pull  tug ‘Seagulf 2’.

Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association AGM held in Tangalle

The annual general meeting of the Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association was held in Tangalle on 23rd September. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was the chief guest of the event, and Tourism and Christian religious affairs Minister John 

Commercial viability to drive Emirates A380 future operations to Colombo

For Emirates, the world’s biggest operator of the super-jumbo Airbus A380, flying it to 47 destinations and to be the possessor of the 100th A380 aircraft, the one-off flight to Colombo on August 14 was primarily introducing the airliner to the new market. 

Emirates service to Tunis becomes daily

Emirates has reaffirmed its commitment to Tunis by increasing the frequency of flights between Dubai and Tunis from six to seven a week starting 30th October. The additional Dubai – Tunis flight will be operated every Monday with an Emirate

First Amari Hotel unveiled in Sri Lanka

Sino Lanka Hotel Private Limited, in collaboration with Onyx Hospitality Group recently celebrated the grand inauguration of a brand-new property in Sri Lanka’s historic southwest coastal city of Galle. The 172-room Amari Galle, located a short distance from the UNESCO World Heritage Galle Fort, is Sino Lanka Hotels’ third hotel in Sri Lanka. Onyx Hospitality Group, one of Asia’s leading hotel management companies, also celebrat

Sri Lanka’s uniqueness showcased through series of roadshows in Germany

Sri Lanka Tourism organized a series of roadshowsin four German cities this year as the second step of a promotional campaign which started in 2015, to showcase the country as a unique tourist destination

Jaguar Land Rover partners Transcend Drive for Shangri-La Hotels

Shangri-La Colombo will soon open its doors with a luxurious fleet of thirty Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles, and offering unprecedented transport solutions, Transcend Drive will offer mobility solutions for Shangri-La Hotel guests for services including excursions, airport transfers, special events and tours. 

SriLankan Catering wins Presidential Export Award

SriLankan Catering Limited (SLC), a fully owned subsidiary of National Carrier SriLankan Airlines, covered itself in more glory when it was named the winner of yet another Presidential Export Award, the third such award in recent years, asrecognition for its steadfast commitment to supporting the nation’s economy and the growth of the aviation industry.

Cinnamon Future of Tourism Summit 2017 to be held next week

The Cinnamon Future of Tourism Summit will be held on September 26th as a one-day conference that will deliberate and draw examples from the best practices around the world on the theme innovation, technology and authenticity. 

Mobitel named ‘Official Mobile Partner’ for tourism summit

Mobitel will be the Official Mobile Partner for ‘Cinnamon Future of Tourism Summit 2017’ to be held on 26th September, hosted by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts. 

Findmyfare.com unveils ‘Flight+Hotel’ bookings, adding more savings

Sri Lanka’s largest online travel company, findmyfare.com is offering further savings to its customers via an all-new ‘Flight+Hotel’ booking feature. 

Gulf Air goes daily to Istanbul

Gulf Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s national carrier, will introduce a permanent increase to its Istanbul service with daily flights on the route effective early November 2017. 

China Southern Airlines launches direct services to Colombo

China Southern Airlines has announced that it will be offering its passengers the advantage of non-stop scheduled services between Guangzhou and Colombo with effect from September 26, 2017.  The airline would initially operate three flights a week to Colombo en route the Maldives and return from the Maldives via Colombo to Guangzhou, China.