Development of luxury water villas gets Cabinet nod

• Sun Resort to build 50 water villas in Kalpitiya

A proposal to develop luxury water villas that would boost Sri Lanka’s tourism offering received the Cabinet nod this week. 

The Cabinet of Ministers approved a resolution furnished by the Tourism Minister to implement a project proposal forwarded by Sun Resort Investment Lanka (Private) Limited.

The private entity has already obtained the Wellei I, II and III islets in the Kalpitiya area for a long-term lease, where it will construct a luxury tourist resort.

According to the proposal, the resort will consist of 50 tourist residences, including water tourist residences and 
water villas.

In a bid to promote tourism in Kalpitiya, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has already acquired 12 islets in the area.

The objective is to promote the water villa concept in the country, as it is becoming increasingly popular globally among tourists.

While a number of countries have successfully embraced the concept of water villas to attract high-spending tourists, the SLTDA and Tourism Ministry have expressed confidence in the model, helping to promote tourism in Kalpitiya and other coastal areas.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, water villas have become a popular option amongst tourists, as they are secluded and have limited interaction with other individuals.