Understanding Roots

‘Narabamu Sri Lanka’ is a Sri Lanka Tourism venture, focussed on igniting a sense of passion among Sri Lankan’s of our own culture, heritage and a desire to explore areas of beauty, which go unnoticed among locals due to lack of publicity and awareness.

This 360 degree campaign is intended to kindle a desire in the domestic traveller to enjoy Sri Lanka’s varied attractions. Hitherto unknown areas of ecological value and aesthetic beauty will be highlighted as well as places of cultural and historical value. It is intended to be an interactive programme where local communities will take ownership and be participatory in sharing values, cultural roots and other qualities unique to their location with fellow Sri Lankans.

Environment and Tourism leaders bond

At UN World Tourism Day celebrations in Lima Peru; tourism leaders and leaders of the environmental movement in the Amazon region, were engaged in a ‘Think Thank’ - brain storming session themed 'Tourism: Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change', where Sri Lanka Tourism’s, ‘Towards a Carbon Clean Sri Lanka, was the curtain raiser presentation. Recognized by the UNWTO as a pioneering initiative in tourism, the Amazon states were exposed to the potential for tourism to be catalytic to reduce travel guilt through CO2 reduction efforts at destinations.

The Think Tank exponents included Antonio Brack Egg, Minister of Environment of Peru & well known environmental activist; Taleb Rifai, Deputy Secretary General of UNWTO; Mercedes Araoz, Minister of Tourism and Foreign Trade of Peru; Ricardo Sanchez Sosa, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of UNEP; Donald Sinclair, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Coordinator of ACTO, Brazil; Valleria Pellizza, National Director of Tourism Development, Argentina; Ester Trujillo, Vice President, Sustainable Development of Sol Melia in Spain; Dr. David de Villiers, Chairman of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics; Kofi Owsei-Ameyaw, Deputy Minister of Tourism of Ghana and Geoffrey Lipman, Assistant Secretary General of the UNWTO.

SriLankan Airlines improves customer convenience

SriLankan Airlines has been systematically introducing its On-Line Check-In system throughout its route network, significantly improving the level of passenger convenience prior to departure.

On-Line Check-In (OLCI) affords passengers the luxury of checking themselves in through the Internet, long before they reach the airport, avoiding troublesome queues at Check-In Counters. SriLankan introduced OLCI at its hub in Colombo at the Bandaranaike International Airport, last December. Since then, eight of its overseas stations have launched the facility - New Delhi, Dubai, Madras, Singapore, Hyderabad, Hong Kong, Bangalore and Beijing.

Sri Lanka Tourism gets top billing at UNWTO

Renton de Alwis, Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism, is in Lima, Peru this week on the invitation of the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to speak at a special Think Tank event, on September 27, 2008, on Word Tourism Day.

The conference themed “Tourism: Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change” will be attended by President of Peru Dr. Alan Garcia Perez, Dr. Mercedes Araoz Fernandez, Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism and international delegates invited by the UNWTO.

The forum is scheduled to cover state-of-the-art of global thinking on Tourism and Climate Change with a strong focus on solutions. Discussions will include the UN roadmap, to adapt, mitigate, use new technology and provide financing for developing countries.

Sri Lanka Culture and Heritage featured in Tokyo

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanyake declared open the Sri Lanka Culture and Heritage Exhibition at the Tokyo Museum and also participated at the Japan Association of Travel Agents Travel Fair. The prime minister was accompanied by cultural affairs minister Mahinda Yapa Abeyawardena.

The Sri Lanka delegation representing the Tourism Ministry, comprising of deputy minister of tourism, Faiszer Mustapha and chief minister and the minister of tourism of Eastern Province, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, were also in Japan participating at JATA and World Travel Fair.

Spotlight on Sri Lanka in Quessant France

At the 10th International Island Book Fair (Salon International du Livre Insulaire) which took place in Ouessant, an island off Bretagne from 20 to 23 of August 2008, Sri Lanka was the guest of honour represented by Phillipe Fabry.

Founder of Viator Publications, and author of many books on Sri Lanka French writer Phillipe Fabry, a resident of the island nation for over 15 years, addressed a conference about the “History and the Birth of Sri Lanka” on the last day of the book fair (23rd of August). Francophone writer Hélène Honorat, equally enthralled by the beauty of Sri Lanka, was also among the invitees.

Speaking of Galle

The southern coastal town of Galle, with its Dutch fort and quaint charming people, continue to enthral travellers with its myriad splendours and attractions. Its magnetism is unfathomable and the offer for the traveller is unmistakably varied as found by a recent visitor who speaks of his journey to the south of Sri Lanka.

“Beach bum? Culture vulture? Intrepid adventurer? On Sri Lanka’s south coast, you can be all three …” says Jeremy Lazell.