VOYAGES AROUND SERENDIB - VOLUME 1 Introduction We are presenting you our new publication with great pride, enthusiasm, and anticipation, by aiming to promote cruise ships tourism in Sri Lanka. Our new publication, Voyages Around Serendib, is a compilation of data on cruise ships berthed in Port of Colombo in 2018. We are extending our gratitude to all stakeholders, including cruise ship passengers, cruise lines and their local agents for making successful journeys to Sri Lanka over the years, to make this possible, today. Increasing number of cruise ships calling at Port of Colombo is illuminating the industry by making Sri Lanka one of the focal destinations. We take this opportunity to pay our respects to all who helped us to enrich this publication. An enormous amount of work has gone into the development of this publication and we believe you will see that effort reflected in this volume and in the impact it will have on the industry. We hope you will enjoy the publication. Published and Disseminated by Communication and Public Relations Division Sri Lanka Ports Authority Sri LankaVoyages Around Serendib Four ports spread across the island along with multiple smaller harbours Endless beaches, timeless ruins, welcoming people, oodles of lovable elephants, rolling surf, affordable prices, fun trains, famous tea and flavorful food make Sri Lanka irresistible. Few places have as many UNESCO World Heritage Sites (eight) packed into such a small area. Sri Lanka's 2000-plus years of culture can be discovered at ancient sites where legendary temples boast beautiful details even as they shelter in caves or perch on prominent peaks. More recent are evocative colonial fortresses, from Galle to Voyages Around Serendib Trincomalee. Across the island, that thing that goes bump in the night might be an elephant heading to a favourite waterhole. Safari tours of Sri Lanka’s pleasantly relaxed national parks encounter leopards, water buffaloes, all manner of birds and a passel of primates. Distances are short: see the sacred home of the world’s oldest living human- planted tree in the morning (Anuradhapura) and stand awestruck by the sight of hundreds of elephants gathering in the afternoon (Minneriya). Discover a favourite remarkable growth of cruise ships calling on the Port beach, meditate in a 2000-year-old temple, of Colombo has been reported in 2018. According exchange smiles while strolling a mellow Ato the records of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, 55 village, marvel at birds and wildflowers, try to cruise ships have called at the Port of Colombo in 2018. keep count of the little dishes that come with Sri Lanka is moving forward quickly as more and your rice and curry. Wander past colonial more people discover its myriad charms. Lying between gems in Colombo, then hit some epic surf. the more trodden parts of India and Southeast Asia, Sri Sri Lanka is spectacular, affordable and still Lanka's history, culture and natural beauty are undeniably often uncrowded. Now is the best time to alluring. It's the place you haven't been to yet, that you discover it. should. (Lonely Planet) MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER t gives me great pleasure to share my thoughts with Voyages growth of cruise tourism in Sri Lanka, adding value to our booming Around Serendib — a publication by the Sri Lanka tourism industry. IPorts Authority (SLPA) on cruise ships that arrived We are already working on a comprehensive at the Port of Colombo in 2018. plan to develop Galle Port as a leisure port without Although cruise tourism is one of the fastest altering its historic value. The Sri Lanka Ports growing segments of the international leisure Authority will also install night navigation at the tourism market, Sri Lanka is yet to tap into the Galle Port before the end of this year, making it a full potential of this sector. While the numbers vibrant destination for cruise tourists. have seen a steady growth in Sri Lanka, many other We hope our efforts will usher in a new era for aspects, including infrastructure, need improvement. cruise tourism in Sri Lanka. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Southern Development is determined to make Sri Lanka a cruise ship hub, attracting high-end tourists who will help ensure a 'qualitative' Sagala Ratnayaka growth in the tourism industry. Therefore, we will strive to develop Honourable Minister of Ports & Shipping and Southern Development infrastructure and introduce other reforms that will facilitate the The Government of Sri Lanka Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka MESSAGE FROM THE SLPA t is with great pleasure that I extend my heartfelt greetings for Sri Lanka is evidence of our island emerging as a valuable cruise ship the first volume of Voyages Around Serendib, the collection of hub. In addition to being a diverse and exciting island to visit, we offer Icruise ships that arrived at the Port of Colombo in the travellers the convenience of international air connectivity, year 2018. This publication shares a brief understanding four modern ports dotted along the country’s coast and about cruise ships and their voyages around our an easy path to the Indian subcontinent. beautiful island nation. Therefore, this publication Voyages Around Sri Lanka has been a fascinating place in Serendib is a compliment to those who visited us maritime history, a perfect meeting point between last year and shared positive sentiments about our East and West. The Italian explorer Marco Polo in country to friends and family. We encourage more his travelogue describes Sri Lanka – then Ceylon cruise ships to select our efficient and reliable ports – as: “Is in good sooth the best island of its size in as one of their main destinations and take berth in the world”. Sri Lanka to enjoy the unique natural and cultural Sri Lanka stands out as an ideal location for maritime experiences we offer here. and logistics services. As an integral part of the maritime We are proud of our past and passionate about our future, business, and as the major supply service of that industry, logistics and we look forward to continuing our success with the support of has become a thriving sector in the country. Many global logistics all our stakeholders. players have set up their ventures in Sri Lanka and are catering to the domestic and regional demands. Kavan Ratnayaka The increasing number of cruise ships calling at the ports in Chairman Sri Lanka Ports Authority Unforgettable: see elephants in Sri Lanka. Pinnawala is an orphanage for breeding wild Asian Elephants and is located at Pinnawala village, and is notable for having the largest herd of captive elephants in the world. MESSAGE FROM THE SLTDA AND SLTPB t gives me great pleasure to send this message for the 1st Sri Lanka has a line-up of natural harbours such as Colombo, volume of Voyages Around Serendib publication as an Trincomalee, Hambantota & Galle which makes us an enviable Iinitiative for promoting Cruise Tourism in Sri location, where the busy East- West shipping route Lanka. passes just 10 nautical miles south of the island and Since the dawning of permanent peace in 2009, it’s our prime responsibility to work together in Sri Lanka has seen a rapid growth in Tourist order to reap the maximum benefits. Arrivals year on year. We received 2.3 Million While appreciating this excellent initiative Tourists last year and the total number of undertaken by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, ships arrived in Colombo Port were 55 Sri Lanka Tourism look forward to working carrying close to 100 000 tourists. with you to drive growth in the tourism Certainly, there is a lot of potential for industry to propel economic growth for the improvement and I believe this initiative will help benefit of all Sri Lankans. us propagate an amplified image of Sri Lanka as a preferred destination. Kishu Gomes The untapped potential of Cruise tourism in Sri Lanka which Chairman is a niche market that brings high end travellers to the country Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority will also require committed and sustained support of all Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau stakeholders. The cruise market is expected to continue to grow in the future especially in Asia with additional demands AN EXPERT VIEW he famous Titanic is one of the ancestors of cruise ships today, which houses of activities including: port services and cruise industry employment; taxes and fees; fine dining areas, well-appointed staterooms, and other amenities needed by transportation of cruise passengers from their place of residence to the ports of Tthe passengers on-board. This makes a cruise a vacation not only an escapade embarkation; spending for tours and pre- and post-cruise stays in port cities; passenger to remember but also as an excellent option for a family vacation. Cruise ships can spending for retail goods in port cities; and purchases of supplies by the cruise lines now cost more than a billion dollars with over five thousand people capacity, the from local businesses. With some 375 cruise ships plying the international waters, voyage itself and the amenities, which can be found on-board, are all essential parts competition remains fierce in the cruise industry. This means that cruise ships and their of the cruise experience. products are in a constant state of evolution. The services offered and demographics According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), just about 28 interested in cruise getaways shows the prominence of baby-boomers and seniors on million people cruised in 2018, the rapid growth of cruising over the last twenty years cruise ships when compared to Millennials. in the travel and tourism industry prompted cruise lines to build modern ships that Cruise passengers current demands include sources of entertainment that are offered cater to the needs of a growing number of cruise passengers.