Hambantota in digital realm through City App

Coinciding with the opening day proceedings at the Rajapaksa International Airport in Mattala, President Mahinda Rajapaksa launched the Hambantota City App at a evening ceremony at the Airport premises in Mattala on March 18.

The App running on Windows 8 provides travellers and investors a complete guide to the city of Hambantota poised to become the next economic hub of the nation.

Director DPE, Microsoft Sri Lanka, Wellington Perera explains the City App to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. First Lady Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa, Country Manager, Microsoft Sri Lanka, Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne and Manager, Compliance, Amice Vander Burg look on.

The app unveiled by the President is the first of 15 cities that will be included in Microsoft Sri Lanka’s ‘Window to Sri Lanka’ App development exercise, to help position Sri Lanka as a tourist and investment destination of choice among locals and foreigners. The President launched the App on a state of the art touch screen eWis computer, at the event.

The App also provides useful information about the economic potential of Hambantota, encompassing the rapid infrastructure development taking place in the area and includes key information relevant to foreign investors such as airline schedules, business information and important contact details.

Microsoft Sri Lanka built City Apps in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

The company has developed a series of city Apps under the name ‘Window to Sri Lanka’ which will provide tourists and locals travelling in Sri Lanka or planning their holiday here from anywhere in the world, a visual information guide and an interactive snapshot to the key cities to visit in Sri Lanka.

The series of City Apps featured under the ‘Window to Sri Lanka’ theme will provide a window to the country’s important tourist spots by creating exclusive information on cities such as Colombo, Hambantota, Anuradhapura, Kandy, Galle, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Negombo, Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala, Yapahuwa, Sigiriya and Dambulla.

The App, which includes high-quality pictures, important details, and maps will serve as navigators to the cities. With or without internet, which is an added convenience, especially in remote areas where 3G or Wi-Fi coverage does not exist.

The cities ‘Window to Sri Lanka’ will initially cover are Hambantota, Colombo and Anuradhapura, and the rest of the cities will be included in the near future.

The series of City Apps aims to attract both local and foreign tourists who are key stakeholders of the tourism and investment boom in Sri Lanka. The project will make available travel destinations in digital mode, which is common in major cities of the world.

Country Manager, Microsoft Sri Lanka, Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne said that Microsoft, as one of the largest software companies in the world, was always willing to assist Sri Lanka in achieving development goals. He also extended his gratitude to Hambantota District MP Namal Rajapaksa for the support and inspiration he provided towards building the App successfully.