SriLankan Airlines has extended its hotel accommodation service for passengers transiting Colombo, to enjoy a mini-vacation for a nominal fee.

“The extension of our Connecting Point Service hotel accommodation programme gives passengers transiting for up to 48 hours the opportunity to relax at a beach resort and enjoy the legendary hospitality and friendliness of Sri Lankan culture,” said general manager SriLankan Holidays, Amith Sumanapala.

SriLankan already provides complimentary accommodation for passengers in transit for between 8 and 24 hours. And now, passengers whose transit times range between 24-48 hours will be provided hotel accommodation and airport transfers at the nominal rate of $10 per person. This service is also for passengers who choose not to take the first available connecting flight.

Nearly 40 per cent of SriLankan’s passengers are those in transit to other destinations. The airline is projecting Sri Lanka as a hub between Europe and the Middle East in the West, and Southeast Asia and the Far East in the East. SriLankan also has convenient connections to eight cities in the Subcontinent (India, Pakistan and the Maldives).

At Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport, passengers are whisked away to their hotels in air-conditioned vehicles. Passengers can choose from no less than a dozen hotels of various types within half an hour’s travel of the airport, including those in the seaside resort town of Negombo, and the nearby beach area.

Passengers can spend their time on the beach; explore the vibrant nightlife among the pubs, restaurants and boutiques of Negombo’s hotel road; or even take a quick trip down to Colombo, just one hours’ drive away, to enjoy the city’s nightlife and great value for money shopping for items such as brand clothing, Ceylon tea, handicrafts and precious stones, he added.-TradeArabia News Service