Business Travel/Lifestyle

Peace concert and fashion show to woo tourists

by Lalin Fernandopulle

Sri Lanka is still safe and a preferred destination for tourists and not a danger zone as highlighted by countries which have issued travel warnings.

Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB), Chairman, Udaya Nanayakkara who challenged the European tourist market for being carried away by adverse propaganda said Western tourists are coming in droves and are quite safe in the country.

Nanayakkara said tourists have never been the targets of terrorism in Sri Lanka and the country has been the preferred tour destination for tourists across the globe for decades.

He was addressing a media briefing at the Galle Face Hotel to launch the Peace concert and Fashion show organised by the UNESCO and the SLTB to mark the International Volunteers' Day in Colombo on Tuesday. The country is going through a trying time with peace talks still to get off the ground.

The negative picture created by the adverse propaganda in the western media has affected the tourism industry badly.

As a result the industry has to do a lot of image building to make up for the loss and attract tourists to the country, he said.

The peace concert and fashion show was organised to create a global awareness of the country's resilience to the security situation and generate support for the peace process which would encourage tourists to visit Sri Lanka.

The peace concert and the fashion show will counter negative propaganda about the country and project its rich cultural diversity to the international world, Nanayakkara said. The International Volunteers' Day celebrations in Colombo included performances by renowned artistes who are committed to bring peace and social development in various countries.

French model Dji Dieng said Sri Lanka is a beautiful destination with a lot of excitement, entertainment and fun that makes her feel at home.

German pop violinist, Lando said he felt quite relaxed but a bit of melancholy prevails in the streets.

UNV Officer, Okama Ekpe Brook said international volunteers play a great role in building peace and prosperity in countries affected by war. Their presence and performance in Sri Lanka will be an encouragement for tourists to visit the country. The peace concert and fashion show which were held on December 5 and 6 included an array of cultural and entertainment items showcasing local and international talents of models, designers and musicians.

The International Volunteers' Day was marked with the peace concert at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on December 5.

[email protected]

Promoting Lanka as a wildlife destination

A new multi-lingual photographic guide to common animals and plants of the dry lowlands of Sri Lanka will help tourists from all over the world understand and appreciate the beauty of the country's rich and diverse natural heritage.

The full color, 110-page guidebook, titled "Wildlife of the Dry Lowlands," was written and photographed by Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, a well-known wildlife writer and photojournalist.

The Tourism Cluster, a private sector strategy group within Sri Lanka's tourism industry, endorsed the publication.

This book is only one of the Tourism Cluster's many initiatives in recent years to make the island competitive in the global market place - by broadening and upgrading the island's appeal beyond its tropical beaches to feature its parks, wildlife and cultural treasures.

The book was launched last week at the office of The Competitiveness Program (TCP) at a ceremony that included representatives of The Tourism Cluster, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Department of Forests, Sri Lanka Tourist Board, Sri Lanka Hoteliers Association, and TCP, which is funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The book was published with financial assistance from TCP, which purchased a special edition of 1,000 copies for distribution through The Tourism Cluster to agencies that train wildlife guides in Sri Lanka.