island.lk

Sri Lanka Tourist Board is planning to lease 12 islets off Kalpitiya for local or foreign investors to be developed as tourist zones.

SLTB Chairman, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa said that the government had already identified those islets and it was awaiting legal clearance to launch the project.

"We will give these islands to investors on lease for 30 years first and extensions will be given depending on their performance,"Dr. Godahewa said.

The government was in the process of marketing the Northern Province, he said adding that the Kalpitiya area was the gateway to the North.

Godahewa said that the government would grant a special tax concession to those desirous of investing over US $ 500,000 US in the Kalpitiya islets.

The 12 islands encompass 4,500 acres and each island has fascinating mangroves as well as scrubby vegetation with a wide range of marine fish species, according to Godahewa.

He said that the local investors would be given pride of place and the BoI would handle all the investment.

Several tourism projects had commenced in Kalpitiya, whose full tourism potential would be unleashed, Godahewa.

The area is also well known for dolphins and whales.

He said that the government was planning to launch an air taxi service shortly from the BIA t to Kalpitiya