Tourism Minister Harin Fernando disclosed that three out of four potential parties are Indian companies that are shortlisted to buy Hotel Developers Lanka Ltd., the owning company of the popular five-star Hilton Colombo.
“Most probably it will go to an Indian firm,” he said speaking at the Sri Lanka Tourism Networking Evening held recently in Mumbai.
Minister Fernando also revealed plans for the sale of Grand Hyatt, which is currently under Government ownership, with two Indian companies among the shortlisted contenders.
He also said significant developments are underway in Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector, with the filing of an application for an exclusive Ritz Carlton hotel in Arugambay.
The Minister announced the imminent opening of an Intercontinental hotel, as well as the debut of ITC Colombo by the end of the month, marking the first venture of the Indian hotel brand outside of India. Moreover, he said the Galadari Hotel is undergoing extensive refurbishment and is slated to be rebranded as Radisson Blu, adding to the array of international hotel brands in Sri Lanka.
“I hope to see an increased presence of top international brands in Sri Lanka. The Port City Colombo alone, with its massive development potential, is poised to elevate Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry to the next level,” he remarked.
He said these developments underscore Sri Lanka’s attractiveness as an investment destination and reflect the growing interest of international hospitality brands in the country’s burgeoning tourism sector.
