The first-ever annual Presidential awards for Travel and Tourism are set to be held on January 28th, 2008, according to Mr. De Alwis, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. He said the aim of the awards - which have been mediated by 6 independent judges - was to "recognize the greats [of the Tourist industry]".

The 44 awards, which are to be held at a ceremony at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, will acknowledge all aspects of the Tourist industry in Sri Lanka, including Airlines, Hotels and Tour operators, as well as Tourism ‘Legends’ and ‘Pioneers’, Mr. Artigale, chairman of the awards, said. Some awards can be awarded posthumously and to those not resident in Sri Lanka itself, although most of the 105 applications are expected to be from current Sri Lankan residents and institutions within the Tourism industry. Each applicant will be assessed in its niche sector with, for instance, hotels being judged by the quality they provide within their star category, and not across the board, which will aid 1 to 3 star hotels which would otherwise be unable to compete for the awards against the larger, wealthier 4 and 5 star hotels. Each award will be given with the patronage of President Rajapakse.

Mr. De Alwis hoped that this new system of awards would further boost Sri Lanka’s tourist industry, which has already experienced a 55% growth rate for December 2007 compared to the same month in 2006. Even greater increases were expected this January, compared to the same month in 2007, Mr. De Alwis said. The awards, Mr. De Alwis and Mr. Attygalle hoped, will increase consumer confidence in Tourist institutions by providing recognition of high-quality service and care, while providing the institutions with a powerful prestige symbol which could be used to attract customers.