Aitken Spence Managed Desert Nights Camp in Oman, Voted as One of the World’s Best

Desert Nights Camp, operated by Aitken Spence Hotels has been voted by the clients of Studiosus as one of the best hotels in their global portfolio. It also won  the Studiosus quality award for the year 2012. Studiosus is one of Germany’s leading tour operators offering outbound guided tours to a multitude of international destinations.

 

The accolade was awarded on the exceptional levels of service experienced by guests during their stay at the Desert Nights Camp gaining recognition as one of the best hotels in the world.

Located in Wahiba Sands in Oman this rustic beauty is surrounded by peaks of sand dunes, offering a natural protection from the temperamental sun of the Omani desert. The luxurious detached tented suites provide a lavish ‘chance of a lifetime’ experience. The camp blends in harmoniously with its environment and offers ‘zero’ disturbance to its guests. The unique desert experience provided in combination with an array of ‘wine & dine’ options enables one to capture the wonders of this property within its desert dwelling.
 
“We are extremely proud of this tremendous achievement. The team at Desert  Nights Camp led by Mr. Anurin Jansen prides themselves in providing exceptional service and winning accolades such as this attests to the team’s commitment” said Mr. Srinith De Silva, Chief Operating Officer for Oman for Aitken Spence Hotels.

 

Aitken Spence Hotels, the first Sri Lankan hotel operator to enter the Maldives in1993 and India  in 2007 broke new ground once again when they ventured into Oman in 2009 entering into a management agreement with Oman Hotels and Tourism Company (OHTC).

 

 “Aitken Spence prides itself in delivering incredible experiences and excellent standards of hospitality. With the vision, support and cooperation extended to us by Mr. Maqbool  Hameed Al Saleh, Chairman of OHTC, we have been able to  achieve great feats in Oman” , said Mr. Malin Hapuoda, Managing Director, Aitken Spence Hotels. 

 

Aitken Spence is the largest resort operator in Sri Lanka and the largest international hotel operator in the Maldives. The Desert Nights Camp is operated under the management of Aitken Spence Hotels. Aitken Spence Hotels operates 5 hotels in the Sultanate of Oman.

 

Aitken Spence Posts a Commendable Performance for FY12/13

Blue chip conglomerate Aitken Spence PLC reported its annual results 2012/13 to the Colombo Stock Exchange on Thursday, reporting profit from operations of Rs 5.5bn  billion, an increase of 14.4% over the  previous year’s profit from operations of Rs 4.81 billion excluding the reported  capital gains on the sale of the shares of Colombo International  Container Terminals Ltd. (CICT).  The profit before tax is at Rs.5 bn for the year with a growth of 8.9% as compared with Rs. 4.59 bn in the previous year, excluding capital gains on the sale of the shares of CICT. The diversified group’s annual revenue rose by 20 per cent to Rs. 37.1 bn whilst earnings per share declined by 6.3% to Rs. 8.05 for the financial year.

 

The revenue of the tourism sector for the financial year grew 24.9% to Rs. 14 bn and profit before tax surged 31.4% to Rs. 3.4 bn. Annual revenue for the Cargo Logistics increased 1.4% to Rs. 5.7 bn whilst profits after tax for the sector declined by 33.7 % to Rs. 556 mn. Services sector reported growth in revenue of 11.4% and profit after tax of 1.5% to Rs. 537 mn and Rs 162 mn respectively for the financial year.  Strategic Investments sector (inclusive of revenue of equity accounted investees) reported an increase in revenue of 22.8% to Rs. 17.9 bn, while profit after tax dropped by 46.4% to Rs. 837 mn for the financial year.

 

“The company has had a year of mixed fortunes with challenges and pressures that have tested our strength and our ability to adapt, combined with fresh opportunities and prospects that excite us about the road ahead”, said Deshamanya D H S Jayawardena, Chairman of Aitken Spence PLC.

“We are proud to say that we have not approached our shareholders for  funds in fifteen years. This is particularly noteworthy considering that  our dividend record has improved significantly during this period, and  will continue to grow in line with our earnings record”, he said.

“The Sri Lankan Tourism sector has performed reasonably well but was  affected somewhat with the country attracting a higher number of  lower-end or budget tourists who do not regularly patronise star class  establishments”, he added.

Deputy Chairman and Managing Director J M S Brito said, “The Group was once again able to achieve a commendable  performance for the year 2012/13 despite the macro-economic and  global challenges we encountered. Our diversity and innate capabilities  provided us with the ability to respond strategically and with agility to  changing conditions whilst staying on course with the greater vision of  Aitken Spence”.

“In terms of expansion, we will continue to explore new avenues of  business as well as new markets both in Sri Lanka and overseas,  where we may utilise our proven capabilities in management to build  sustainable new businesses”, he added.

The revenue for the fourth quarter of 2012/2013 was recorded at Rs. 9.38 bn, a negative growth of 3.3% compared to the fourth quarter of 2011/2012.  The profit before tax for the fourth quarter posted a negative growth of 4.13 % at Rs. 1.85 bn when compared with 2011/2012 figures which excludes capital gains on the sale of the shares of CICT.

Aitken Spence is among Sri Lanka’s leading and most respected corporate entities with operations in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. It is an industry leader in hotels, travel, maritime services, logistics, power generation and printing, with a significant presence in plantations, financial services, insurance, information technology and apparel. Aitken Spence was recognized as Sri Lanka’s Best Corporate Citizen for 2012 by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

Heritance Hotels, the only resort chain in Sri Lanka to be ISO 50001 Certified

Heritance Hotels, Sri Lanka’s leading chain of resorts, owned and managed by Aitken Spence Hotels is the first resort chain in Sri Lanka to be awarded the ISO 50001 certification for energy management systems which have been effectively implemented at each resort.

The International Organization for Standardization has introduced ISO 50001 with the aim of helping organizations establish systems and processes to improve their energy performance. The standard specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving an energy management system, whose purpose is to enable an organization to follow a systematic approach in achieving continual improvement of energy performance, including energy efficiency, energy security, energy use and consumption. The standard aims to help organizations continually reduce their energy use, and therefore their energy costs and their greenhouse gas emissions.

Heritance Hotels, a pioneer in practicing and promoting sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka, has taken numerous initiatives in ensuring that energy consuming assets have been managed effectively and energy conserving technology has been implemented at each resort. Heritance Ahungalla, one of Sri Lanka’s leading beach resorts, was the first hotel in Sri Lanka to receive the ISO 50001:2011 certification. Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara, was the first net metered hotel in Sri Lanka and Heritance Tea Factory and Heritance Kandalama were the first in the hospitality industry to utilize a biomass gasifier as a renewable energy source. Apart from the significant systems implemented at the resorts, all resorts use Sewage Treated Plant (STP) water for irrigation and have replaced incandescent lighting with CFL and LED lights.

It is believed that energy conservation is the foundation of energy independence; although a single effort may seem minuscule a collective effort will make a difference. “We at Aitken Spence Hotels have been setting trends for energy reductions. We always strive to establish best practices and set examples for the industry” said Rohitha Rajaratne, Vice President, Engineering, Aitken Spence Hotels.
Mr. Malin Hapugoda, Managing Director, Aitken Spence Hotels shared the following views; “Sustainable tourism is about re-focusing and adapting. A balance must be found between limits and usage so that continuous changing, monitoring and planning ensure that tourism can be managed. This requires thinking long-term and realising that change is often cumulative, gradual and irreversible. Having identified the growing need to ensure sustainable tourism, Aitken Spence Hotels, will continue our pioneering efforts in this field. Our continuous dedication in implementing initiatives that promote sustainable practices has enabled Heritance to achieve global recognition such as the ISO 50001, for its efforts. ”

With the ever increasing energy cost and limitations of supplies especially in Sri Lanka, this step by Heritance Hotels is expected to bring in a significant saving of energy consumption as well as reduce cost of operations. The improved energy efficiency of the operations is expected to drive the company towards greater productivity and this will enable the hotels to be competitive while reducing its dependence on the national energy supply.

Senior Management of Aitken Spence Hotels and the chief engineers of the Heritance properties with officials of the certification awarding body

Congratulations!

Fiji Government partners with Aitken Spence to overhaul the operations of the country’s two biggest ports

Aitken Spence announced through the Colombo Stock Exchange filing the following:

“In terms of Rule 8 of the Listing Rules, we wish to bring to your kind notice that Aitken Spence PLC entered into an agreement with Fiji Ports Corporation Limited, an entity wholly owned by the Government of the Republic: of Fiji to manage the cargo handling activities in
the Ports of Suva and Lautoka on a concession period of 15 years. Aitken Spence PLC will acquire a majority stake in Ports Terminal Ltd., a subsidiary of Fiji Ports Corporation Limited which will manage the operations. The investment of approximately FJD 10.5 million will be subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and any other relevant regulatory authorities.”

Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara Bags Global Award for Best Ayurveda Resort

Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara was recognized as the “Best Ayurveda Resort” at the 4^th FIT Health and Wellness Awards held at ITB 2013 in Berlin, the world’s largest travel trade fair.

 

The FIT Health and Wellness Awards are presented in three categories- “Best Ayurveda Resort”, “Best Health and Spa Resort” and “Best Active Wellness Resort”. FIT Reisen is Europe’s largest tour operator for wellness holidays. The accolade was awarded based on guest experiences with similar resorts across the globe.

 

ITB Berlin 2013 is the world’s largest meeting point of international tourism decision- makers and business leaders. The global tourism industry acclaims this summits’ dual function of a travel trade fair, to be the largest in the world and it acts as a global platform for diverse resorts to present itself.

 

Since time immemorial, man has been engaged in the pursuit of achieving and maintaining an optimum state of health. The emergence of Ayurveda in 600 BC as a natural way of healing has grown in global popularity as it has evolved into a scientific system of holistic healing. The resorts novel delivery of a professional Ayurvedic experience without the compromise of luxury has enabled it to carve its niche in the minds of wellness enthusiasts globally. This has helped Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara pave its way to been regarded as the “Best Ayurveda Resort” per global standards.

 

Heritance resorts have been conscious about sustainable tourism practices and their commitment towards this is clearly visible in the unique designs and sustainable processes customized and implemented at each resort. Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara’s continued efforts to promote energy efficiency have provided a distinctive leverage against similar concept resorts. “Ayurveda has evolved into a holistic lifestyle system and it is viewed as a system of treatment and comprehensive health care. This view has been conceptualized to every aspect of the guest experience at Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara which has earned the resort global acknowledgement”, said Mr. Samantha Gunarathne, General Manager, Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara. A maintained promise of stringent standards of quality together with professional Ayurvedic treatments prepared by trained professionals has enhanced the delivered guest experience.

 

“The maintenance of constant innovation into adapting the traditional rituals of the Ayurvedic practice has helped Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara offer a differentiated unmatched experience. A consistent trend across the Heritance portfolio is the ability to incorporate the rich culture and tradition into the processes adopted by our resorts. This remains the core responsibility for our success”, said Mr. Malin Hapugoda, Managing Director, Aitken Spence Hotels.

 

Aitken Spence is Sri Lanka’s largest resort operator and one of the largest international hotel operators in the Maldives. The group also manages a portfolio of hotels in India and Oman. The company’s premier resorts operate under the brand Heritance.

Aitken Spence Travels Certified as Carbon Neutral for the year 2012

In line with their group wide sustainability strategy, Aitken Spence Travels Ltd (ASTL), Sri Lanka’s largest inbound tourism operator, was awarded the ‘Carbon Neutral’ Certificate at a formal ceremony held at the Central Environmental Authority last week. Nalin Jayasundara, Managing Director of Aitken Spence Travels was presented with the certificates issued by the Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy by B.M.U.D. Basnayake, Secretary of the Ministry.

The process of being carbon neutral was done by tracking the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by ASTL’s activities in Sri Lanka. For this purpose the amount of Carbon Dioxide emitted by their fleet of vehicles, staff traveling for official purposes for both locally and abroad; staff travel to and from office, and consumption of electricity in the ASTL offices were estimated. In 2012, the carbon footprint of Aitken Spence Travels stood at 1336 metric tonnes prompting the company to take measures to mitigate the impact it made on the environment. The whole process was audited by the Sri Lanka Carbon Fund.
In order to compensate for emissions, Aitken Spence Travels (bought “Carbon Credits” from Lalan Rubbers (Pvt) Ltd., a rubber glove manufacturing company that has replaced furnace oil with biomass for their production process, thus mitigating carbon dioxide that would have been emitted had they used furnace oil.

Addressing the event, Dr. Suren Batagoda, Managing Director of the Sri Lanka Carbon Fund said if Sri Lanka can reduce 10 percent of its petroleum consumption, the country can save up to 600 million US Dollars annually. He made this remark based on the calculation that Sri Lanka’s oil import bill stands at 6 billion US Dollars while the total export income amounted to 10 billion US Dollars.

Commending the initiative made by Aitken Spence Travels, he said the country needs more support from the private sector towards achieving goals in terms of reducing energy consumption. He added that plans were afoot to introduce a carbon certification programme for home appliances and other equipment as well.

“We already have plans to record the carbon emission of every appliance and equipment. Then the public will know the impact they make on the environment. Those who want to protect our environment for the future generation, will buy products that has a minimal carbon emission.” he said, Mr. B.M. U. D. Basnayake, Secretary or the Ministry of Environment, who also addressed the gathering, said that the private sector has a bigger role to play in protecting the environment and reducing environmental pollution. While appreciating the responsible approach shown by Aitken Spence Travels towards the environment, he added that the ministry intended to engage more with the private sector in this regard.

Speaking on behalf of Aitken Spence Travels, Assistant Vice President Dr. Prashantha Perera, said that they were in a process of minimizing their carbon emission gradually.
“By the end of 2013, we have a plan to reduce our carbon emissions by 10 percent. We understand that the need of the hour is to minimize emissions. Therefore, we educate the people involved in our operations on saving energy. We build awareness right down to the grassroots levels of our operations. We educate our transporters and transport agencies. This, we firmly hope, will take us towards our reduction goals by the end of this year, ” he said.

Nalin Jayasundera, Managing Director of Aitken Spence Travels affirmed that their tour operator partners across the world always preferred to work with institutions that were conscious about their environment.

“Therefore, being carbon neutral is a plus. Aitken Spence Travels is a promoter of sustainable tourism and this is an extension of our philosophy, Looking at it on a larger canvas Sri Lanka as a destination should take green tourism more seriously as this will be the differentiator when competing in the global market “he said.

Aitken Spence Travels, the leading Destination Management Company in Sri Lanka through the purchase of carbon credits from Lalan Rubers (Pvt) Ltd., became the first Sri Lankan company to buy carbon credits from a local company. By buying carbon credits from the rubber glove manufacturing company, Aitken Spence Travels has technically neutralized the impact it made upon the environment through Carbon dioxide emissions. The transaction is an affirmation of Aitken Spence Travels commitment towards environmental protection and promoting eco-friendly business and production practices.

The purchasing or carbon credits is facilitated by The Sri Lanka Carbon Fund (Private) Limited, a private-public partnership established under the companies Act. No. 7 of 2007 to promoite carbon trading CDM projects in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Carbon Fund (Private) Ltd., which has the backing of Environment Ministry and the Central Environmental Authority, provides technical and finance resources to develop, finance, market CDM carbon credit projects in any sector.

 

Carbon credits can be traded among groups and businesses, both locally and internationally. Those who emit greenhouse gases buy carbon credits from those who do not emit greenhouse gases in their operations, contributing towards promoting environment-friendly business practices. On the other hand, it gives an opportunity for companies who emit greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide an inevitable part or their operations to assist eco-friendly production processes and contribute towards the betterment of our environment.

Aitken Spence Hotels triumphs for the sixth year in Sustainability Reporting

Aitken Spence Hotels was recognized in the Medium Scale category at the ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards and once again joins the ranks of being amongst the most transparent companies in the world. The annual ACCA Sustainability Reporting awards were held on February 20th in Colombo under the aegis of Chief Guest, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank Rita O’Sullivan, while the Guest of Honour was ACCA’s Executive Director – Markets, Stephen Heathcote. The awards highlights the importance Aitken Spence Hotels gives to sustainability, transparency and accountability and provides a clear indication that the company possesses extensive knowledge on how economic, social and environmental impacts of an organization should be reported.

Over 50 companies vied for the coveted awards which recognized the transparency and accountability in economic, social and environmental spheres. ACCA Sri Lanka builds on the fact that sustainability reporting is a more holistic improvement on the long practiced environmental reporting practices which began in the 1980s, and a few years ago moved further into transforming the reporting process with emphasis on integrated reporting added to the focus on GRI Guidelines and triple bottom line reporting.
The judging criterion is split into three categories and looks at completeness in scope & coverage, credibility and communication. Reports are evaluated by an eminent independent judging panel consisting of experts in the field of sustainability and environmental reporting disclosures.

“We are delighted to have been recognized in the medium scale category once again. Aitken Spence Hotels knows the importance of being sustainable; we have been championing sustainable tourism for decades. On many occasions we have been recognized for having some of the most sustainable hotels in the world and are pleased to see companies the world over using our initiatives as case studies. We believe that sustainability is not a trend but a lifestyle” said Mr. Malin Hapugoda, Managing Director, Aitken Spence Hotels.
The awards, held in over 30 countries, are based on judging guidelines established by ACCA worldwide, and is open to any type of organization encompassing all business sizes. The ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards are already functional in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the UK and the USA with similar awards, largely based on the ACCA criteria, existing in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Team from Aitken Spence Hotels at the award ceremony

Aitken Spence Hotels located in strategic locations in Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and Oman caters to a diverse market segment and is famed for its stellar service, exquisite food and world recognized sustainable practices. Over a period of time the reputation gained has helped to position the chain of hotels as one the best in the region.

Aitken Spence Posts Impressive Results

Blue chip conglomerate Aitken Spence PLC reported its interim results to the Colombo Stock Exchange on Thursday, showing Rs 3.1 bn as profit before tax, which is an increase of 18 per cent for the nine months ended 31st December 2012, amidst challenging macroeconomic conditions. Profit attributable to shareholders rose by 24 per cent to Rs 2.1 bn, over the previous year.

The diversified group’s nine-month revenue rose by 30 per cent to Rs. 27.8 bn while earnings per share increased by 24 per cent to Rs. 5.11.

Aitken Spence is among Sri Lanka’s leading and most respected corporate entities with operations in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange since 1983, it is an industry leader in hotels, travel, maritime services, logistics, power generation and printing. The diversified group has a significant presence in plantations, financial services, insurance, information technology and apparel.

“Our satisfactory results for the 9-month period has been mainly driven by our tourism and strategic investments sectors. Our resorts in the Maldives performed exceptionally well with better occupancies. We are keen to strengthen our leisure portfolio in Sri Lanka and overseas. However, we would like to reiterate the need for a robust destination marketing strategy for Sri Lanka to overcome some of the key challenges we are presently facing in tourism and to achieve the industry’s full potential for the country”, said J M S Brito, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Aitken Spence PLC.

“Since many of our companies generate revenues in foreign currency, during the current year, we did not get the benefit of the currency depreciation compared to the previous year. This is reflected in the reduction in the other operating income during the period”, he added.

“The full operation of our 100 MW power plant in Embilipitiya, which was shut down in the first quarter of the last financial year, strengthened the performance of the strategic investments sector when compared with the previous year”, he said.

“Given the demanding global environment at present, we believe the Company would find it challenging to match the outstanding fourth quarter performance it achieved during the previous year”, he concluded.

During the last quarter under review Aitken Spence was recognized as the ‘Best Corporate Citizen 2012’ by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC). Aitken Spence also received two sector awards for ‘Environment’ and ‘Economic Contribution & Governance’, as well as the category award for ‘Financial Performance’.

Aitken Spence’s premier beach property in Sri Lanka, Heritance Ahungalla was presented with the Gold Award at the National Green Awards conducted by the Central Environmental Authority, during the last quarter under review. Heritance Ahungalla has successfully taken over the baton from Heritance Kandalama, which was received the same distinction during the previous year.

The interim financial statements of the Company and its controlled entities for the nine months ended 31st December 2012 were audited by the Company’s external auditors since it is the first financial year following the adoption of IFRS requirements. The restated financial position of the company and its controlled entities as at 31st March 2011 and 31st March 2012 respectively based on Sri Lanka Accounting Standards effective from 1st January 2012 have also been audited by external auditors.

Aitken Spence Deputy Chairman and Managing Director, Mr.J.M.S. Brito

Aitken Spence Printing First to be LEED (Gold) Certified

Industry leader Aitken Spence Printing’s state-of-the-art new printing facility was awarded the LEED (Gold) certification recently, making it the first in this region and the one of the very few of its kind the world to receive the international benchmark for leadership in energy and environmental design.
The 77,000 sq. ft new facility spread over 3.4 acres on the outskirts of Colombo boasts many modern technological and sustainable features. The facility was awarded LEED-NC: GOLD Certification under the newly established campus category, by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED-NC (campus) rating system is based on a 110 point system encompassing all areas of sustainable construction.
Some of the measures which Aitken Spence Printing has implemented are: 70% saving on portable water, 22% saving on energy, use of daylight for 100% of all regularly occupied spaces, 90% of construction waste diverted from landfill, 40% of the material used for construction accounted for locally, and many other design and operational measures.
With a heritage spanning over five decades, Aitken Spence is known as an innovative quality printing and packaging solutions provider for prestigious international brands in fast moving consumer goods, tea, confectionary, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and apparel industries locally and globally. It is also recognized as top quality printer for corporate reports, coffee-table books, magazines and other high-end publications.
“The LEED certification is another groundbreaking milestone for Aitken Spence Printing. Over the years, we have been able to offer many innovative solutions to our partners. Benchmarking our new printing facility on international green building standards, provide our partners with an enhanced environmentally friendly value addition”, said Prasanna Karunathilake, Managing Director of Aitken Spence Printing.

The LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) Green Building Rating System provides guidance on implementing sustainability for new buildings and third party verification of the level of sustainability achieved. All LEED rating systems are voluntary, consensus-based national standards for high- performance, sustainable buildings. The LEED rating systems are a USGBC-sponsored program to encourage building owners to make their buildings sustainable and to maintain and improve sustainable practices over time. USGBC is the USA’s leading coalition of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies and non-profit organizations working together to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.

Aitken Spence LEED (Gold) Certified Printing Complex

Aitken Spence Deputy Chairman and Managing Director – Mr.J.M.S. Brito, Aitken Spence Printing Managing Director – Mr. P. Karunathilake, Aitken Spence Power Managing Director, Mr. D.de Mel and Officials From Aitken Spence Printing receiving LEED accreditation from the certifying officials.