Sri Lanka to promote luxury yacht charter, "boat safaris"

Sri Lanka’s English newspaper, the Sunday Observer, highlighted plans to promote yacht chartering from the island’s cities of Galle and Colombo. In a brief interview with the country’s Deputy Minister of Ports and Aviation, Dayasritha Tissera, it appears that the government is enthusiastic about immediate investment in the marine sector.

The South Asian island country, located about 20 miles off the southern coast of India, is a destination of primal forests, pristine beaches, breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural traditions. The Ministry hopes to entice both local and foreign tourists to depart from hotel stays and embark on œluxury boat safaris to destinations around the exotic island. To this end, Tissera outlined plans to purchase four luxury yachts with four to six cabins, suitable for up to 20 guests.

The Ministry also wants to launch a luxury passenger liner yacht service to connect the harbors of Colombo, Trincomalee, Kankesanturai and Galle, with extended service to neighboring India. Plans also include construction of a first-class yachting center and marina in the old port area of Galle.

The Ministry is undertaking these initiatives with confidence that the now peaceful country’s lighter security restrictions will enable passenger travel unencumbered by red tape. The Ministry has set a November goal for the luxury yacht launch, however exact dates remain uncertain. Perhaps this is because, according to Tissera, the Ministry is presently seeking investors for the projects.