Sri Lanka to host World Surf League qualifying series 6000 in Arugam Bay in June

Thursday, 14 February 2019 00:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

With the growing success as a surfing destination, Sri Lanka has received the opportunity to host the world’s most accomplished surfers in a World Qualifying Series competition this June in Arugam Bay.

This exciting opportunity is a perfect showcase for the growing world of surfing in Sri Lanka and would strengthen its place as a first-class surf tourism destination. For many years, surfers have travelled from far to experience the magical waves of Arugam Bay and now it may present itself on the world stage of competition surfing.

The World Surf League is the home of professional surfing. World Qualifying Series events are given star ratings and this particular event would be a six-star event, the highest rating in this series, up with the Hawaiian events and attracting the very best of professional surfing’s top performers.

The World Qualifying Series is the only possible route into the final Championship Tour that decides a world champion, therefore it is expected to see some of the biggest names in surfing world gracing our waves.

World Surf League events are expect to bring around $ 450,000 of direct revenue to the area where the competitions are held, However it’s the aftermath of the exposure online that has made a huge and positive impact for many countries that have had the chance to host such events.

The worldwide media presence of the World Surf League events is massive with an expected 120 million online viewers over an event window. This media exposure would be a huge boost not only to Arugam Bay and Eastern Sri Lanka but also to tourism industry as a whole.

So much effort has gone into bringing this event to Sri Lanka as per an initiative by Surfing Federation of Sri Lanka, with the support of Ministry of Sports, National Olympic Council, Arugam Bay Tourism Association and sponsored by Sri Lanka Tourism partnering with SriLankan Airlines. This event is supported by the Central Program Management Unit, under the Ministry of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development, Vocational Training and Skills Development and Youth Affairs for effective coordination among all the relevant stakeholders.