Another hub for Sri Lanka?

With world class sporting events now being held in Sri Lanka, the country could very soon promote itself as a ‘sporting hub’ on top of the other five hubs the Government has targeted, Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Nalaka Godahewa said yesterday.

Speaking at the announcement of the ‘SriLankan Airlines Pro 2011’ surfing competition, Godahewa said that if the country won the 2018 Commonwealth bid, noting that it had “a high chance of winning,”

it could fast evolve as a sporting hub.” Sporting will be a key area that the government will continue to talk about, he said.

Godahewa also noted that sports and adventure tourism was an area that Sri Lanka Tourism would aggressively promote in the future. “In achieving the ambitious plan of 2.5 million arrivals, tourism positioning strategy plays an important role,” he stressed.

As the country moves towards becoming the ‘Wonder of Asia,’ eight product categories have been marked to drive the industry, with which includes sports and adventure.

“Sri Lanka’s tourism product is much more than the traditional beaches and heritage, which the country was previously known for. Sports and adventure is an area we want to aggressively promote in the future,” Godahewa said. “The country can offer many activities such as surfing, sailing, scuba diving, cycling, ballooning, trekking and so on.”