Already, we are on the fifth month of the year! The month of May holds quite a few activities and surprises, as Jetwing Hotels continues on its journey to making 2012 a year to remember. The upcoming weekend is host to the religious ceremony of Vesak, celebrating the birth, enlightenment and passing away of Guatama Buddha; where devotees strive to bring peace and harmony to humanity. It is also a festival of colour and sharing, with brightly lit “vesak kudu” (lanterns) at every turn, “thoranas” (electrically lit pandols) depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha, as well as “dansals”; food stalls set up by devotees to provide free food and drink to passers-by.

At Jetwing Vil Uyana, every year a Vesak lantern exhibition and competition is held amongst the hotel departments, with the final winner being chosen by guests. This year, the associates pooled in their ideas and time to create an amazing rotating lantern placed at the entrance of the property for the enjoyment of guests and villagers alike. In addition, a dansala will be set up, offering simply delicious iced coffee for its visitors. For images from last year’s celebration, do visit our official Facebook page

On the 8th of May, Jetwing Lagoon will be part of history, as the property will be the venue in which the unique awareness campaign, “Passing the Pillow” will be held. The campaign, organized by The Lanka Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS of which Jetwing is a member, seeks to raise understanding of both HIV and AIDS amongst associates. At this ceremony, the symbolic cushion will be passed onto Hiran Cooray, Chairman Jetwing, by Dr. Kishu Gomes, Country Chairman Chevron Sri Lanka, and will kick-start training programmes to be held at Jetwing properties islandwide. We will be uploading a video of the event; do stay tuned to our Facebook and YouTube page!

Also in the cards, for the first time ever, is the Jetwing Room Rush. Simply put, book early and receive unprecedented discounts, offers, all to make your stay everything it deserves to be. For more information, please visit www.jetwinghotels.com/roomrush.html

We at Jetwing Hotels hope you have a peaceful and harmonious Vesak, and don’t forget to write in, visit us, and leave your footsteps in Paradise!

Tomorrow, the 31st of March 2012, we at Jetwing Hotels will “Switch Off”. Our participation in the global campaign of Earth Hour is an extension of our stand towards the continued well-being of our environment; done through the Jetwing Eternal Earth Programme (JEEP). At our hotels all around the country, lights will be switched off from 8:30pm to 9:30pm, and we will join millions of people and organizations in over 100 countries in the largest environmental event in history.

Organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Earth Hour began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia. In the years since then, the movement has grown tremendously, with 2011 being the biggest year in the campaign’s history: a record 5,251 cities and towns in 135 countries and territories, in all 7 continents as well as reaching 1.8 billion people. Sri Lanka has been a part of Earth Hour since 2010, and the participation of Jetwing Hotels makes this year a first for a Sri Lankan resort chain.

We only have one country, one world, one Earth. Conserve now, and protect the future… Join us tomorrow, and see the future of our world brighten as the lights dim. For more information and details, please visit www.earthhour.lk, and our Facebook page for images of the event on Sunday on www.jetwinghotels.com/facebook. Everything we hold dear is in our hands alone; be with us and leave your footsteps in Paradise.

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, but we borrow it from our children, as the Native American proverb goes. Sri Lanka currently stands at a crossroads; with much made of increased tourism and the opportunities it provides. At Jetwing, we have been, and always will be firm in our dedication to sustainable tourism in practice, and implementation. Through the Jetwing Eternal Earth Programme (JEEP), we have influenced the lives of those we have borrowed our beautiful land from; our children. Our many initiatives fall under JEEP; including Trees for Life, our efforts to be sustainable, as well as the Jetwing Youth Development Project (JYDP). We continue to educate and nurture the next generation through Trees for Life, as well as our visitors, who are welcome to contribute in the form of trees planted at St. Anne’s Shrine, Thalawila.

Our practices reflect our beliefs as well: our properties use simple yet innovative measures such as energy saving lighting, biomass boilers and solar power for hot water generation and illumination, and a reduction in the usage of plastic. The results speak for themselves; did you know that:

- From 2010 to 2011, Jetwing Hotels has successfully reduced its carbon footprint by 22%?
- From 2008 to 2011, Trees for Life has planted over 3500 trees?
- Jetwing Hotels has achieved a 40% saving in energy consumption by using energy efficient LCD/LED TVs as opposed to plasma and traditional CRT TVs?

The above are only some of many, with our cause and commitment being recognized both within the country, as well as internationally, with Jetwing Sea winning a PATA Gold Award under the category of Environment – Corporate Environmental Programme recently. We have many more such facts to share, so stay tuned!

Sri Lanka is a land of many colours, and we were, are and always will remain green. Visit, and see for yourself, and leave your footsteps in Paradise.

This entry is made on a day which is rare, to say the least; occurring once every 4 years. Did you know that the Olympics have always taken place during a leap year?

Last week, Jetwing Sea was formally announced as winning a prestigious PATA Gold Award for Corporate – Environment Programme, furthering recognition of our comprehensive sustainability efforts. The entry was titled “Jetwing Sea – A Greener Vision”, and focused on the energy efficient and sustainable measures implemented at the property, which was re-launched last year after a massive renovation. Jetwing has long been championing the cause of the environment; under the Jetwing Eternal Earth Programme which seeks to bring about responsible change through the next generation as well as through education of the current.

On the 18th of March, Jetwing Vil Uyana will have the Harvesting Ceremony, in all its traditional glory. A favourite amongst visitors from all over the world, the sight of the paddy being harvested and processed has been a unique feature at the property for many years. The day begins with a ceremony to bless the harvest, and a traditional breakfast in the field, then move on to the act itself. After a hard morning’s work, lunch is once again served in the field, where a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction prevails. The crop is then taken to the Kamatha, where it is finely threshed under the hooves of buffalo. This is the Harvesting Ceremony, where time does not forget our ancient, life-giving rituals. Come, be a part of the Harvest at Jetwing Vil Uyana, and leave your footprints in Paradise.

The month of love has almost come to an end, and we at Jetwing hope all of our readers had a romance filled Valentine’s!

February certainly opened with a bang, as Jetwing Hotels and Mercantile Merchant Bank Ltd. made history in making the largest private sector investment in Jaffna to date. With the laying of the foundation stone for Jetwing Yarl, a 14 storied hotel with 76 rooms, Jetwing ventures forth into the previously inaccessible North. The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, D. M. Jayaratne and the Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa, Managing Director of Jetwing Travels, Shiromal Cooray, and Managing Director of Jetwing Hotels, Ruan Samarasinghe, religious dignitaries, and other invitees. Jetwing Yarl will boast a rooftop swimming pool, a Presidential Suite, and will be constructed on a 46 perch land area on the Old Clock Tower Road. For images of the ceremony, please visit http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.346318538735190.87229.105101009523612&type=3.

The future of marketing lies in social media; and Jetwing Hotels is certainly on track to be a powerful player online. The Jetwing Hotels Facebook page (www.facebook.com/jetwinghotels) has over 40,000 fans, one of the largest fan followings for a Sri Lankan company, and is the main source of instant information as befitting the purpose of social media. Twitter (www.twitter.com/jetwinghotels), currently has a unique campaign running, to celebrate the month of love (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=354188917948152&set=a.127294483970931.13806.105101009523612&type=1&theater) , open till the 29th of February. Jetwing Hotels is also present on Foursquare and LinkedIn (https://foursquare.com/user/13881343, http://www.linkedin.com/company/jetwinghotels)  Visit us, and come leave your footprints in paradise!

Last week saw Jetwing make a renewed commitment to its environmental policies; with a tree planting campaign conducted at the Shrine of St. Anne, Talawila. The Jetwing Earth Day is an annual event, to celebrate the birthday of our Founder Chairman Herbert Cooray. Attended by schoolchildren, teachers, and associates of Jetwing, the day started off with Holy Mass to bless the proceedings. After the last tree was planted, a special presentation was held for the attendees on the importance of remaining environmentally responsible.

February will continue to be feature rich and event packed, as Jetwing is famous for. Stay tuned for more news regarding the opening of our next ‘wow’ resort, Jetwing Lagoon, and make sure you visit and leave your footprints in paradise!

2012 is promising, to say the least. Come January, the 6th HSBC Galle Literary Festival will kick off, with Jetwing Lighthouse being at the center of the Festival, and in February comes the year’s most exclusive event: the opening of Jetwing Lagoon, Bawa’s and Sri Lanka’s first resort re-imagined in true Jetwing fashion. All this, and so much more, what better reason to visit and leave your very own footsteps in Paradise?

In other news, we take pride in announcing the beginning of the whale watching season! Do visit us at Jetwing Lighthouse, and find out for yourself why our resident naturalist Anoma is considered Sri Lanka’s foremost expert on whales. Witness these majestic kings of the ocean in all their glory, and leave your footsteps in paradise.

Another month has come and gone, with 2012 just around the corner. At Jetwing, however, each month is indeed one of adventure and excitement! November marks the beginning of the spectacular Migration of the Whales, with Jetwing Lighthouse being at the forefront of whale watching expeditions for the past 4 years, and at Tangalla Bay something unique this way comes: The Animal & People Alliance Event, organized along with the Tsunami Animal People Alliance, the Southern Tourism Bureau, and the local community. Held from the 8th-26th of November, the event aims to catch, neuter and release 500 stray dogs and cats as well as provide free treatment and vaccination.

As the end of 2011 draws close, come and visit. Experience Sri Lanka at her finest, with Jetwing Hotels, and leave your very own Foot Steps in Paradise.

For those of you who are lovers of nature, don’t forget to visit Jetwing Vil Uyana this September for two reasons: The Harvest Festival, which celebrates the collection of nature’s bounty, happening on the 10th, as well as Sri Lanka’s premier wildlife spectacle, The Elephant Gathering at Minneriya National Wildlife Park, where at times over 300 of these magnificent and awe inspiring beasts congregate. making this another month in paradise