About Us
This Sri Lanka Hotel Booking Service is locally owned and operated by the team at United Holidays. We know all the best local spots, nicest accommodation, best value restaurants and romantic hideaways. Whatever local experience you're looking for...we here at United Holidays are committed to providing the highest service for you.
Established in 1995, United Holidays is a leading independent destination management company in Sri Lanka, maintaining a high standard of quality control and an unsurpassed tours operation. Equipped to handle both inbound and out bound tourism, United Holidays currently represent a range of leading tour operators from generating global markets such as The UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, India, Japan, and China. The volume of business generated and the positive annual growth since its inception, allows United Holidays to command a strong buying power among independent hotels and hotel chains
Chaminda Dias is the Executive Director of United Holidays. Chaminda has spent ten years in the tourism field and currently heads the Tours Division of United Holidays. His career in tourism began at the Hilton as a management trainee and he has worked on 2 Hilton International projects in Sri Lanka as a sales and marketing specialist. He joined United Holidays in 1999 as an Asst. Manager focusing on new market development.
Athif Bawa has been with the company for the last 10 years, and started his career as a trainee tour executive and is now the Operations Manager in the Inbound tourism Department. Athif has an in depth knowledge of the destination and also has experience handling MICE operations. His passion for the country is such that when ever he has some free time he travels within the country exploring new sites and locations. He also likes to spend time with his 2 young children. With all the ups and downs in the travel industry Athif is determined to show case his beautiful country and the beautiful beaches, rainforests, nature reserves, cultural sites and Hill Country.
Yasenthi Weerasekera has been working for 3 years in promoting Sri Lanka to travellers with her local knowledge about this beautiful island of Sri Lanka, with its rich cultural heritage. Yasenthi is proud to say that her true passion is in promoting Sri Lanka. Apart from her daily office work she loves to relax while listening to music.
On a personal note, both her & her family celebrate special occasions at nearby orphanages or an elder's home. Seeing the smiling faces of these needy people is a blessing that words can't quite express. As a tour operator more into responsible tourism, she thinks WHL is the best opportunity to promote Sri Lanka.
Tharindu is the newest addition to the United Holidays team. He comes from a background in marketing & sales and at United; he will be responsible for coordinating WHL enquiries. During his free time he loves racing his motor cycle and listening to music. "I strongly believe that Sri Lanka is really a ‘pearl' when it comes to selecting perfect holiday destinations, due to its variety of natural resources and countless tourist attractions. Sustainable tourism is very important to a developing country like Sri Lanka, since it enables the conservation of both the community & the environment, whilst still enabling people to experience its beauty. This trend is new to Sri Lanka at this stage but by fine tuning it, aggressive progress could be expected. "
They believe in supporting our local community, and our aim is not simply to donate money but to invest in projects that will empower and support local communities, provide practical help to those in need, and offer increased opportunities for disadvantaged groups to benefit from tourism
United Holidays works very closely with the local community. The Saga Charitable Trust is a UK registered charity, founded by the Saga Group Ltd, which supports community projects in the developing world. The prime objective of the charitable work overseas is to bring benefit to under-privileged communities at destinations in developing countries that host Saga holidaymakers. We at United holidays handle all the projects initiated by SAGA Charitable trust; including projects including the building of schools in Marawila, Beruwela, & Hambantota; as well as upgrading them with new libraries and PC's for computer education. We have also provided 10 sewing machines to widows who have lost their husbands due to the Tsunami, which has enabled them to earn a living. We also operate an oil mill in Peraliya (in Galle) where all profits are donated to the local community.
SAGA Holidays, who operate to 72 destinations globally, has consistently recognized the contribution of United Holidays by bestowing various awards for the tours operated in Sri Lanka. These awards are made more significant as it is based on comments and reactions of SAGA clients that fill in a comprehensive questionnaire at the end of each tour.
In addition to destination management, the airline division of United Holidays; United Air Services, is the GSA in Sri Lanka for United Airlines and Air Canada. The outbound division; Go Holidays, apart from retailing travel products are the agents in Sri Lanka for Citadine Apartments in Europe, Festival cruises, and the representative for STA Travel and ISIC (International Student Identity Card) in Sri Lanka.
United Holidays currently operate a choice of tours such as cultural, nature, eco, adventure, incentives, meetings, conferences, shore excursions for cruise ships, beach stay, and all-inclusive programmes. Taking a look through this website will provide a broader perspective of how best to discover Sri Lanka and the diverse range of experiences available here.
Apart from conventional tourism, United Holidays have two new subsidiaries that specialise in nature, adventure, activity based tour programs, and exclusive holidays in Sri Lanka that provide deluxe vehicles, exclusive villas/bungalows, & boutique style hotels all designed to combine and discover or even re-discover Sri Lanka in new and exciting ways. They offer comprehensive information and online booking facilities for potential tourists and tour operators alike - contact us if you want to book one of our exciting tours or activities through this website!
With representative offices in Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, United Holidays hope to continue its growth in the tourism industry in Sri Lanka as an innovative and consumer driven destination management company.
With a dynamic new identity that reflects our energy and commitment, our objective is to take pride in formatting itineraries and taking care of every detail for your tourists in Sri Lanka thus creating an experience to enjoy and a holiday to treasure. With the support and personalized service of our dedicated and knowledgeable team, we guarantee you and your clients a seamless operation and a superior product that you expect and deserve.
