Beauteous Sri Lanka

Mega Tourism Caravan 6 in Moscow begins

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June 03, 2014 (LBT) - The grand Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Show - Mega Tourism Caravan 6 -commenced its activities with a Cultural Show followed by a banquet, fittingly named ‘Sri Lankan Night’ at the Crystal Ballroom of the hotel ‘Lotte Plaza’ in Moscow, on the night of May 29. Under the guidance of Ministry of Economic Development Ministry and supported by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau the event was meticulously planned and executed under the close supervision of Udayanga Weeratunga, the ambassador to the Russian Federation.
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The 'Sri Lankan Night' at the Lotte Plaza is showcasing the 'Beauty and Traditions' of Sri Lanka became a tremendous success and gave the right impetus to other activities to follow in the Mega Tourism Caravan 6 show.
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The presence of over 200 guests at the 'Sri Lankan Night' comprising members of the diplomatic corps, leading travel and tour operators in Moscow, prominent businessmen in the tourism and tea trade, leading print and electronic media representatives and the members of the Sri Lankan community added glamour and quality to the evening.
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The photo exhibition which greeted the guests on their arrival added a lot of colour to the event too with over 120 photos displayed on visits of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Republic of Kazakhstan. The photos on display also included major tourist destinations in Sri Lanka such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Kandy, Sigiriya, Pinnawela and Nuwara Eliya along with scenic and pristine beaches on both Western and Eastern coasts, Hotels, Sri Lankan cuisine, traditional dancing and wild life.
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One of the highlights of the evening was the Sri Lankan Cultural Show encapsulating rich Sri Lankan culture through traditional dancing, drum fusions, mask dancing and a medley of folk songs.
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Addressing the august gathering the Ambassador explained why Sri Lanka is considered the best tourist destination in the Asian region and the recent acknowledgement of it by many internationally renowned tour operators. He also spoke of the long standing friendship between Russia and Sri Lanka and the strong bonds between the peoples of both countries and invited all those present from the travel trade to encourage their customers to visit Sri Lanka, which the Ambassador assured would be an experience to remember.
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The Crystal Ballroom of the Hotel Lotte Plaza in Moscow, where the event was held, is one of Moscow’s newest hotels. Situated in the heart of Moscow's shopping and financial districts, Lotte hotel is a much sought after hotel for its grandeur. Thus the hotel provided the guests with a luxurious environment to enjoy the unique evening of Sri Lankan dance and music. The ‘ThreeArticle 2 Michelin’ star chef, Pierre Gagnaire, along with a team trained exclusively in Paris, presided over the reception which followed the cultural show.
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With the auspicious beginning in Moscow, the three-week long ‘Mega Tourism Caravan 6’ will conduct shows in other Russian cities of Kazan, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd and Rostov, finally culminating with the show in Yerevan the capital of Armenia. The journey of ‘Mega Tourism Caravan 6’ will cover approximately 7000km. This show is a continuation of the programme launched by the Sri Lankan Embassy in the Russian Federation to promote tourism where the previous event the ‘Mega Tourism Road Show’ was held in October 2013, in Ukraine.
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The enormous task of organizing this three-week-long tourism promotion campaign, which has now become an annual event in the activity calendar of the Sri Lanka Tourism executed with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Russian Federation. The event has been a tremendous success during a short span in popularizing Sri Lanka as a tourist destination in the CIS countries.
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Within the first four months of this year, Russian tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka have increased by 81.1% owing to the heavy promotional campaigns of this nature.

Mega Tourism Caravan 6 in Moscow begins

June 03, 2014 (LBT) - The grand Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Show - Mega Tourism Caravan 6 -commenced its activities with a Cultural Show...

International Conference on Digital Marketing 2014

upcomingevent 8:00 PM

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Organized by The International Institute of Knowledge Management, the International Conference of Digital Marketing is to be held at the Galadari Hotel, Colombo on 03rd and 04th June 2014. The conference seeks to involve researchers, scholars and professionals examining theories, strategies, challenges, and future trends of Digital Marketing</div>

International Conference on Digital Marketing 2014

Organized by The International Institute of Knowledge Management, the International Conference of Digital Marketing is to be held at th...

International Conference on Global Public Health 2014

upcomingevent 12:16 PM

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Organized by the International Centre for Research Development in collaboration with the Umeå Universitet and the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka (CCPSL) the International Conference on Global Public Health will be held at Goldi Sands Hotel in Negombo Sri Lanka on 3rd and 4th July 2014.<br />
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<a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/index.php?route=event/upcoming&event=107" target="_blank">Read More>></a>

International Conference on Global Public Health 2014

Organized by the International Centre for Research Development in collaboration with the Umeå Universitet and the College of Community P...

How tourists are wiping out Sri Lanka’s elephants

news 10:50 AM

Tourism is fuelling an illegal trade in elephants that threatens to wipe out the species in Sri Lanka, international conservation experts have claimed.<br />
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The elephant population is at increasing risk, as a sharp increase in the illegal trade in the animals is compounded by the destruction of their natural habitat. Many are taken to supply captive elephants for Sri Lanka’s booming tourist industry and for a handful of rich individuals.<br />
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The Times

How tourists are wiping out Sri Lanka’s elephants

Tourism is fuelling an illegal trade in elephants that threatens to wipe out the species in Sri Lanka, international conservation experts ha...

Sri Lanka's promise of a "oneworld" experience

news 11:04 AM

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HAMBANTOTA (Sri Lanka): On June1, Sri Lankan Airlines, the country's national carrier will complete one month since its first flight flew out of Colombo on May 1 under the "oneworld" banner.
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For "SriLankan" which traces its origin back to 1947 the new beginning as part of the "oneworld global airline alliance" comes with the promise of a world class experience when tourist season picks up from July and peaks towards the end of the year. 
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The blue waters, golden beaches, coconut tree clad landscapes and the endearing hospitality high on sea food makes Sri Lanka a popular destination. As part of its tourism strategy Sri lanka has set a target of 2.5 million tourists by 2016. 
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The entry of "SriLankan Airlines" in the global alliance makes it the first carrier to be part of "oneworld" in the Indian subcontinent and is yet another sign of how fast the small island country is trying to make its presence felt on the international platform.
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The airline's addition to the alliance brings two new destinations on to the network- India's Tiruchirapalli and the picturesque Hambantota in Sri Lanka along with its Colombo base as a new oneworld hub. 
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With "SriLankan", the one world alliance launched 15 years ago now serves 1000 airports in 150 countries with 14250 daily departures; serving more than 500 million passengers a year on a combined fleet with other alliance partners of about 3,300 aircrafts.
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Some of the other alliance partners include Asia Pacific's cathay pacific, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Australia's Qantas, British Airways, Finnair, Qatar airways and American airlines among others. 
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With an extensive schedule serving southern India and as the leading international airline serving the Maldives, SriLankan now also strengthens oneworld's presence throughout South Asia, one of the world's fastest growing regions for air travel demand. 
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Srilankan Airlines chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe shares the goals that his team seeks to achieve. "With the world airline industry ncreasignly focused on alliances, joining "oneworld" is one of the most significant developments to date for SriLankan Airlines. The alliance has put Srilankan more firmly on the global aviation map. It will vastly improve Sri Lanka's connectivity with the rest of the world, which is vital for our country's trade and tourism." 
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When Sri Lankan entry in "oneworld" alliance was announced on April 30, the government of the island nation chose to showcase before the worlds its brand new Mattala Rajapaksa International airport in Hambantota. This airport with its world class infrastructure is awaiting a deluge of tourists from this year. 
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Through this new airport Sri Lanka seeks to encourage tourists to visit Sri lanka's south and East coasts and Hambantota sea port. The ongoing construction work at the airport shows the government plans to cater to more flights in the future. 
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Hambantota District lies in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. Referred to as an underdeveloped area at one point of time it was hit hard by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Now the district is witnessing a lot of development works and major development projects. The Mattala international airport is one of the key projects that forms part of the government's plan to transform Hambantota into the second major urban hub of Sri Lanka, away from Colombo. 
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Climatically speaking, travel reviewers suggest the best seasons in Sri Lanka are from December to March for the west coast, the south coast and the Hill Country, and from April to September for the ancient cities region and the east coast. December through March are also the months when most foreign tourists visit the island. 
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Sri Lanka's climate means that it is always the 'right' beach season somewhere on the coast. The weather doesn't follow strict rules, though - it often seems to be raining where it should be sunny, and sunny where it should be raining. Rainfall tends to be emphatic - streets can become flooded in what seems like only minutes.

Sri Lanka's promise of a "oneworld" experience

HAMBANTOTA (Sri Lanka): On June1, Sri Lankan Airlines, the country's national carrier will complete one month since its first flight f...

Seven nations at Colombo Caterpillar Regional Meet

11:07 AM

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May 30, 2014 (LBT) - Sri Lanka has seen an upsurge of business tourism, with an estimated 11.2% of all tourist arrivals into the country being for business purposes or to attend conventions and meetings, according to the latest <a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/" target="_blank">Sri Lanka</a> Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) report. The influx of tourists can be attributed to an economic resurgence in the island post-war, with new ports, highways and airports being constructed.
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In line with this trend, <a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/" target="_blank">Sri Lanka</a> recently hosted the Caterpillar Asia Dealer Service Training Focus Group Seminar, the first time an event of this nature was hosted in Sri Lanka by the Caterpillar Group.
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Caterpillar is a global leader in the Construction and Engineering sector which has more than 200 dealers across the world. This seminar was facilitated by United Tractor & Equipment (UTE), the dealer for Caterpillar in Sri Lanka.
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The focus group saw representatives from countries like India, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore and Korea attend. “With the dawning of peace in the country it is a point of pride for us as citizens that a global giant like Caterpillar chose to host their events in our country,” said H. R. Ranasinghe, GM-Product Support at UTE.
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The focus group participants had the opportunity to visit UTE's multimillion dollar workshop as well as their state-of-the-art training centre during their visit to <a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/" target="_blank">Sri Lanka.</a><br />
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“The UTE training facility is on par even with similar facilities in developed countries - having these types of modern facilities will ensure that their customers get the best out of their investment on vital capital goods,” said K. B. Chua, the Asia Region Service Training and Development representative of Caterpillar.
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An electric generator fault simulator in particular drew the attention of participants during the visit to the Training Centre, as it had been specially developed by UTE's own engineers. UTE training centre is equipped with many simulators and diagnostic tools to train service technicians on various service procedures.
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UTE's Training Centre is affiliated to the National Apprenticeship and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA), while their training facility in Wattala is affiliated to the internationally renowned Caterpillar ABC training programme, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of industrial training. The latest UTE training centre enrolls school leavers in several batches every year in both customer and apprentice training. The centre draws from the expertise of engineers and technicians who have been trained at Caterpillar International Training Centres.
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Dealer Service Training Focus group is an annual forum, which brings together representatives from the training divisions of countries in the region in order to strengthen the cooperation and communication between Caterpillar Service & training experts. This is a platform for knowledge sharing and the dissemination of latest technology related information among the dealers.

Seven nations at Colombo Caterpillar Regional Meet

May 30, 2014 (LBT) - Sri Lanka has seen an upsurge of business tourism, with an estimated 11.2% of all tourist arrivals into the country b...

Mega Tourism Caravan 6 Day 1 - Sri Lanka Culture and Traditions Showcased in Moscow

news 11:55 AM

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The grand Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Show- Mega Tourism Caravan 6 commenced its activities with a Cultural Show followed by a Banquet, fittingly named " Sri Lankan Night" at the Crystal Ballroom of the hotel " Lotte Plaza" in Moscow, on the night of 29 May 2014. Under the guidance of Ministry of Economic Development and supported by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau the event is meticulously planned and executed under the close supervision of His Excellency Udayanga Weeratunga the Ambassador to Russian Federation. The 'Sri Lankan Night' at the Lotte Plaza was showcasing the 'Beauty and Traditions' of Sri Lanka became a tremendous success and gave the right impetus to other activities to follow in the Mega Tourism Caravan 6 show.
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The presence of over 200 guests at the 'Sri Lankan Night' comprising members of the diplomatic corps, leading travel and tour operators in Moscow, prominent businessmen in the tourism and tea trade, leading print and electronic media representatives and the members of the Sri Lankan community added glamour and quality to the evening.
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<img height="212" src="http://srilanka.travel/image/data/New%20items%20news/MEGA%20TOURISM%20CARAVAN%206%20Day%201_3.jpg" width="320" /><img height="211" src="http://srilanka.travel/image/data/New%20items%20news/MEGA%20TOURISM%20CARAVAN%206%20Day%201_2.jpg" width="320" /><br />
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The photo exhibition which greeted the guests on their arrival added a lot of colour to the event too with over 120 photos displayed on visits of His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Republic of Kazakhstan. The photos on display also included photos of major tourist destinations in Sri Lanka such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Kandy, Sigiriya, Pinnawela and Nuwara Eliya along with scenic and pristine beaches on both Western and Eastern coasts, Hotels, Sri Lankan cuisine, traditional dancing and wild life. One of the highlights of the evening was the Sri Lankan Cultural Show presented by the Dance Guild of maestro Chandana Wickremasinghe encapsulating rich Sri Lankan culture through traditional dancing, drum fusions, mask dancing and a medley of folk songs.
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Addressing the august gathering the Ambassador eloquently explained why Sri Lanka is considered the best tourist destination in the Asian region and the recent acknowledgement of it by many internationally renowned tour operators. He also spoke of the long standing friendship between Russia and Sri Lanka and the strong bonds between the peoples of both the countries and invited all those present from the travel trade to encourage their customers to visit Sri Lanka which the Ambassador assured would be an experience to remember.<br />
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<a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/index.php?route=event/travelnews&news=229" target="_blank">Read More>></a>

Mega Tourism Caravan 6 Day 1 - Sri Lanka Culture and Traditions Showcased in Moscow

The grand Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Show- Mega Tourism Caravan 6 commenced its activities with a Cultural Show followed by a Banquet, ...

New Korean Ambassador meets Minister Basil Rajapaksa

news 11:39 AM

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Chang Won-sam, newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador to Korea, paid a courtesy call on Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development,recently at the Ministry of Economic Development. Reviewing the present status of bilateral relations, new Korean Ambassador stated that he wish to further improve bilateral relations between the two nations.<br />
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The Ambassador agreed to boost trade and investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. He expressed that Korean Government wish to provide further assistance to develop areas such as health, tourism, agriculture and education in Sri Lanka. Minister Rajapaksa thanked the Korean Government for provide necessary assistance for development works in Sri Lanka. Diplomatic relation started between the two countries 37years ago and strong relationship prevailed during the period. Korea and Sri Lanka have developed mutual cooperatione and friendly relations in various fields such as politics, economy, development cooperation, cultural affairs, and personnel exchanges.

Sri Lanka is now the 3rd largest partner country of Korea’s Official Development Assistant (ODA) programs. Every year thousands of young Sri Lankans migrate to Korea to work in various industrial sites across the country, making a meaningful contribution to Korea’s economic development.<br />
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www.news.lk

New Korean Ambassador meets Minister Basil Rajapaksa

Chang Won-sam, newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador to Korea, paid a courtesy call on Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development,r...

Sri Lanka's tourism revenues surge

news 10:00 AM

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COLOMBO, <a href="http://www.srilanka.travel/" target="_blank">Sri Lanka</a> - Earnings from Sri Lanka's booming tourism industry jumped 26.2% in March and April to 192.2 million US dollars, the Central Bank said on Monday.
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Releasing its external performance report the Central Bank noted earnings had increasing an impressive 49.8 percent from the same period last year.
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Tourist arrivals grew at a rate of 39.5 percent, year-on-year to 112,631 in April 2014.
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The top five sources of tourist arrivals in March 2014 were India, UK, Germany, China and Russia, accounting for about 44 percent of total tourist arrivals during the month.
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Since the end of a three decade war in 2009 Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals have boomed reaching over 1.2 million last year and attracting earnings of 1.7 billion US dollars, according to the Central Bank.
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The tropical island is aiming to attract 2.5 million arrivals by 2016, buoyed by fast increasing numbers from China.
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Only 27,627 Chinese tourists arrived in Sri Lanka in 2012, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) but the numbers nearly doubled to 54,288 last year. China is now the third largest source of tourists for Sri Lanka.
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In January 2014 Chinese arrivals grew a staggering 119.2 percent increase with the arrival of 21,098 travelers in the first two months of the year.
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March proved to be much the same with China recording nearly three times the arrivals rate of last year jumping from 3,328 in 2013 to 10,779 this year.
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China has now become the third highest source of tourists for Sri Lanka behind India and UK as well as being the fastest growing market.
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This is largely due to massive advertising campaigns launched in China by the Sri Lankan government and greater engagement with Chinese media.
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In total 421,501 arrivals have been recorded so far, which is a 24.8 percent increase from the previous first quarter.<br />
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Sri Lanka's tourism revenues surge

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Earnings from Sri Lanka's booming tourism industry jumped 26.2% in March and April to 192.2 million US dollars, ...