SL pavilion at Expo Milano crosses 30,000-visitor mark

Sri Lanka has been able to attract over 30,000 visitors to its stall at Expo Milano, according to Pavilion Director Dammika Jayawardena. It did this despite investing just $ 0.5 million, a modest sum compared with the astronomical amounts spent by other countries represented at the event in Milan, Italy.

The Sri Lanka pavilion is also the only stall using a trade theme with most other countries’ stalls operating on the theme ‘Feeding the world’.

Sri Lanka put its stall together in just four months following broad collaboration between the Sri Lanka Tea Board, the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, the National Gem and Jewellery Association, SriLankan Airlines, the National Craft Council and the BOI.  

“We as a nation need to be patriotic and support the country even though we do not have the infrastructure and finance to support a $ 20-million budget,” said Sri Lanka’s Commissioner General for Expo Milano 2015 and the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Rohantha Athukorala.

“We are doing this for the country and not just for each of our own institutions. This is a nation brand-building drive and I was fortunate to have visited the Sri Lanka pavilion and get the endorsement of ‘Sri Lanka, ethical sourcing destination,” added EDB CEO and Chairman Bandula Egodage.

“Expo Milano 2015 offers a platform for global reach, particularly in re-establishing and strengthening bilateral relationships with the West, in the context of the EU region, accounting for over 31% of export revenue for Sri Lanka.”