The Sunday Times: The Sunday Times

Amana Takaful Insurance covers the world's leading eco-lodge

Show of support to Sri Lanka's resilient tourism sector

The green partnership: Mr.Dinesh Watawana, Managing Director of The 7th Frontier - the ad agency which spearheaded the eco-resort KumbukRiver which won the world award, exchanging pleasantries with Mr.Reyaz Jeffrey, CEO/CMO - Amana Takaful Life at the signing of the insurance agreement. Also in the picture - Ms.Sonali Van Dort, Brand Manager and Mr. Aashiq Aminuddin, Manager Marketing.

In a show of support to Sri Lanka's resilient tourism sector, Amana Takaful Insurance has offered a comprehensive insurance plan for KumbukRiver, the Sri Lankan eco resort which just created history by being crowned the world's leading eco-lodge at the World Travel Awards.

"KumbukRiver put Sri Lanka on the global map for all the right reasons and at a trying time for the local tourism industry. We thought it would be a good gesture to protect this eco resort which has brought unprecedented fame to the country", said Mr.Reyaz Jeffrey, CEO/CMO- Amana Takaful Life.

"It is not every day that Sri Lanka produces a world-class brand and it is just the kind of endorsement Sri Lankan tourism needed. Amana Takaful Insurance is about partnerships that take care of one another, bringing home to Sri Lanka a revolutionary insurance product hailed as the world's most rewarding concept of insurance. So we thought of extending our goodwill to a home-grown brand which has made Sri Lanka proud," he said.

In a special insurance package tailor-made for KumbukRiver's challenging and unique operation in an idyllic yet far-flung location in Buttala, Amana Takaful Insurance now covers its property, employees, as well as, visitors - both international and local tourists in search of a unique travel experience. The 14-acre responsible tourism initiative on the banks of Kumbukkan Oya, features among its facilities a uniquely designed villa in the shape of a 40ft elephant.

"It's a wonderful gesture by Amana Takaful Insurance to make a commitment to an enterprise which has beaten the odds in pushing Sri Lanka in the right direction. KumbukRiver is a pioneering venture and serves as a watchdog in the conservation of the area's bio-diversity, especially considering its close proximity to Yala. It's a magnificent gesture when a Sri Lankan corporate volunteers its support; so we can continue to preserve this international destination", says Mr. Dinesh Watawana, Managing Director of the resort which won the travel Oscar.

"Our quest is not just about business but to be the Sri Lankan flag-bearer of a world-class concept and carry that message to the people by also being part of what matters to the country and its people," adds Mr. Jeffrey.