Emirates helps promote Australia-Sri Lanka links

Wednesday, 21 May 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Emirates played its role of a global connector of people, places and cultures to perfection recently when the airline helped the Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka to feature Australian celebrity chef Peter Kuruvita at a gala dinner at the High Commissioner’s newly rebuilt residence in Colombo.

Business leaders, celebrities, and the cognoscenti of Sri Lanka’s commercial capital were hosted to a creative menu characteristic of Kuruvita’s genius at this first major event at the rebuilt residence which had been home to 14 Australian High Commissioners and their families since 1978. Australia’s current High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Robyn Mudie said Peter Kuruvita epitomises contemporary Australian culture and personifies the strong people-to-people links that are the bedrock of the Australia – Sri Lanka relationship. “Tonight is an occasion to celebrate the ties between Australia and Sri Lanka through the sharing of a wonderful dinner which features Australian produce and Australian Sri Lankan cuisine,” she said. Thanking Emirates for its support as Travel Partner to this event, and referring to his flight, Peter Kuruvita asked the assembled guests: “Have you ever heard your name in ten different languages? Ten different nationalities from Emirates’ multi-lingual crew say your name. You will never fly another airline again.” The widely-travelled Kuruvita began his love affair with food and his passion for cooking in the traditional kitchen of his ancestral home in Sri Lanka. Born in England to a Sri Lankan father and an Austrian mother, he established himself as an award-winning chef and restaurateur in Australia and Fiji and is now a popular TV presenter, author, industry speaker and restaurant consultant. Emirates has been connecting Sri Lanka to the world through its ever-expanding route network since April 1986. By end July 2014 when runway upgrade work at Dubai International Airport is completed, the airline will resume its full schedule of 34 flights a week from Colombo, comprising of 27 to Dubai and Male and a daily flight to Singapore.