Jetwing Hotels celebrates Golden Jubilee

Jetwing Hotels Managing Director Ruan Samarasinghe, Jetwing Hotels and Travels Chairperson Shiromal Cooray, Vingressor Former Resident Manager and Contracting Manager, Thomas Cook Group Former Interim Chief Executive Officer Sam Weihagen, Jetwing Symphony and Jetwing Lighthouse Chairman Hiran Cooray and Jetwing Hotels Marketing and Development Director Hashan Cooray

Chief Guest Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena

Tourism Minister  Harin Fernando

Today a trusted, household name in hospitality, Jetwing Hotels is a pioneering force in the travel and tourism landscape of Sri Lanka that began life as a humble, six-bedroomed property on the beach of Negombo. 

Renowned for their warm, welcoming, authentically Sri Lankan hospitality, spaces that blend with the natural world, and heartfelt commitment to sustainability, Jetwing Hotels celebrated its 50th anniversary on 27 January at the resort where the journey started – Jetwing Blue. The event was attended by dignitaries and senior stakeholders in travel and tourism. The celebration was graced by Sri Lanka Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Tourism and Lands Minister Harin Fernando as well as Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

The story of Jetwing starts with Herbert Cooray, an enterprising building contractor who identified the potential Sri Lanka had for tourism, the island people’s inherent warmth and friendliness juxtaposing with boundless natural, historic, and cultural wonder. While building the beachside Seashells Hotel (Jetwing Sea) for G.E.B. Milhuissen in 1972, Herbert was encouraged to construct his own hotel by Göran Olsson of Vingressor and started to build a property of his own just south of Seashells Hotel – the iconic Blue Oceanic Beach Hotel (Jetwing Blue).

The Blue Oceanic Beach Hotel opened its doors in 1973, welcoming tourists from all over the world to the incredible beach at Negombo and to the iconic style of hospitality that would distinguish the brand. The beginnings of Jetwing and the life of its founder was reminisced at the event by a panel consisting of Jetwing Symphony PLC Chairman Hiran Cooray and Jetwing Hotels Chairman and Jetwing Travels Chairman and Managing Director Shiromal Cooray and children of Herbert.

They were joined onstage by Jetwing Hotels Managing Director Ruan Samarasinghe, whose 50 years of service to the company was felicitated by the team, and Thomas Cook Group Former Interim CEO and lifelong friend of Herbert Sam Weihagan.

“When my father started the Blue Oceanic Beach Hotel, tourism in Sri Lanka was largely dominated by tour operators. Hotels would open and close based on the seasons in the northern hemisphere. What my father envisioned was a hotel that could cater to Sri Lankans and foreigners alike, a brand that would be a source of pride and inclusivity for local communities – and I am happy that we have managed to carry on his legacy and vision throughout 50 years,” said Shiromal Cooray.

Over the years Jetwing Hotels added to their ever-growing portfolio of resorts and villas, acquiring Seashells Hotel from the retiring Milhuissen in 1978 and the legendary Blue Lagoon (Jetwing Lagoon), famed architect Geoffrey Bawa’s first purpose-built resort. The brand soon grew beyond the shores of Negombo, opening iconic properties in Galle (Jetwing Lighthouse, another masterpiece of Bawa) and Nuwara Eliya (Jetwing St. Andrew’s).

The company’s pioneering spirit, tenacity, and timeless vision came to fore in 2006 with the construction of Jetwing Vil Uyana, one of the most ambitious hospitality projects ever attempted in Sri Lanka. The man-made lakes, forests, and marshes of the hotel interspersed with consciously designed dwellings signal yet another virtue of Jetwing. One that has been a mainstay of their operations, design, and concept since the inception – the commitment to sustainability.

“Hospitality cannot and should not operate isolated from the local communities and without regard to the environment, that is something my father strongly believed,” said Hiran Cooray. “Although sustainability wasn’t a buzzword back in 1973, the ethos and operations of Jetwing Hotels was built on the principles and tenets that are now considered responsible travel. My father always included the community and the environment in his plans and operated through the years with integrity and trust.”

Post-2009, Jetwing Hotels saw an unprecedented period of growth as tourism in the island boomed. While landmark resorts were created in sought-after tourist locations such as Yala and Dambulla, the brand’s sense of adventure and discovery saw the introduction of tourism and its benefits to regions of the country that were largely ignored by others.

In Wellawaya, Jetwing Kaduruketha pioneered agro-tourism in Sri Lanka with its 50-acre heirloom paddy fields while Pottuvil welcomed Jetwing Surf, unlocking enigmatic east coast to intrepid travellers.

Tourism Minister Harin Fernando speaking at the event as the guest of honour congratulated the Jetwing family on its golden jubilee. “Jetwing’s contribution to the travel and tourism industry and the global positioning of Sri Lanka is immense. The work began by Herbert Cooray and carried on today by his son and daughter has brought tourism to the mainstream and shared its benefits with the community.”

In his address to the gathering, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena spoke on the importance of tourism to the economy of Sri Lanka, now more than ever. “As a dollar earning industry, tourism is a key player in our recovery efforts. In the future, we predict that Asian giants will take a significant share of our arrivals and we look to productive partnerships between public and private sector organisations such as Jetwing Hotels to maximise the tourism potential of Sri Lanka.”

Josephin Cooray cuts the anniversary cake

Former President  Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge along with Hiran Cooray

The Cooray family