All stakeholders join for World Tourism Day

Sri Lanka Tourism is planning a range of celebrations for World Tourism Day, linking all public departments, the organisation said in a statement yesterday.  

This year’s World Tourism Day will be celebrated under the theme of ‘Tourism – Linking Cultures’ set by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation on 27 September. The main focus of this year’s theme is to foster awareness among the international community of the value of tourism and its cultural impact and to gain experience in understanding cultural diversity. The World Tourism Day celebrations in Sri Lanka have been planned with the contribution of all stakeholders related to travel and tourism industry.

There are several programmes lined-up for this year’s event, including a ceremony for releasing new stamps and postcards commemorating the 2011 event, ‘Colombo Wall’ painting among school children, career guidance workshops, cultural shows, food festivals and many more events at provincial and national level especially focused on the youth, taking into account the tourism potential of the country in the coming years.

A ‘Tourism Zone’ will be declared from Uttarananda Mawatha to Perahera Mawatha named ‘Road to Paradise,’ where the main activities are scheduled to take place from 25-28 September.

Two thousand school children from 110 schools in the Western Province will participate in a competition to draw a one kilometre long painting in this area named ‘Colombo Wall’. The painting will showcase the Colombo City in the future as seen through the eyes of these children (see page 5 for more details).

The main function will take place on 27 September with  arrangements to release 10 new stamps and picture postcards covering this year’s promotional themes of Sri Lanka tourism, including Pristine, Heritage, Bliss, Wild, Scenic, Thrills, Festive and Essence and Scenic. The stamps will bear the value of Rs. 5 (four stamps) and Rs. 15 (two stamps). Four airmail stamps of the value of Rs. 30, Rs. 35, Rs. 40 and Rs. 45 will also be released.

A special ‘Food Fiesta’ will be held in the tourism zone with the participation of the Colombo Hoteliers Association. A variety of food items from different cultures will be prepared and served for the public during this festival, highlighting the theme of cultural links.

Apart from this, special vocational training programmes will be organised targeting the youth and school children, to educate them on the prospects of the tourism industry.

The World Tourism Day programmes will conclude with the vivid cultural shows that will take place on 27 and 28 September.

A special significance of this year’s programme is the involvement of all stakeholders of the tourism industry, with the leadership of the Vocational Training Authority, Tourist Hotels Association, Inbound Tour Operators Association and Chef Guilds Association in association with the Economic Development, Youth Affairs and Skill Development, Education and Postal Services Ministries and Sri Lanka Tourism, in the implementation of the programmes.