Expo 2015 attracts 200 top SL private sector entities

Monday, 20 April 2015 00:45 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Expo 2015, which will be launched on 1 May, has attracted 200 key private sector entities said the Commission General for Sri Lanka Rohantha Athukorala while addressing tourism sector participants at the Sri Lanka Tourism premises. “During the six months we will focus on one key sector per month that will set the stage for Sri Lanka to be featured in the global news whereby we

can add to the brand value of Sri Lanka which is currently at $ 61 billion. We must become an $ 80 billion nation brand within the next two years,” said Athukorala. Athukorala threw the challenge to top executives from a cross functional agency team to set up the Sri Lanka pavilion within just six weeks after a Cabinet decision declaring that Sri Lanka take part in Expo 2015 under the direction of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who personally negotiated for the pavilion to be given free to Sri Lanka by the Italian Government. “For the first time I have seen Sri Lanka coming together to peg the brand Sri Lanka at the global stage. This is makes Expo 2015 unique,” said Athukorala on behalf of the team. The Sri Lankan pavilion will host seven key sectors for Sri Lanka. They include the Sri Lanka Tea Board, positioned with the ‘Ceylon Tea - Ethically manufactured clean tea’, the Export Development Board positioned with ‘ Preferred destination for ethically sourced merchandise’, the National Gem and Jewellery with the positioning ‘Sri Lanka - The sapphire capital’ , Handicrafts with the positioning ‘Sri Lanka - Traditionally handcrafted handicrafts’, Sri Lanka Tourism positioned with the slogan ‘8 wonderful experiences in 8 wonderful days’, the BOI on the theme ‘Best place to do business in South Asia’ and SriLankan Airlines. The Italian market, which registered a 12.9% growth as at the end of the first quarter of 2015 with 5,277 visitors, is targeting a 40%growth in the next two years given the strong marketing support and key partnerships that will be shored up in the next six months at the World Expo, Athukorala stated.