Colombo City to be made a tourist attraction

Sanjeevi Jayasuriya

Tourists are to be given a good glimpse of the Colombo city in keeping with the city development plan.

The Colombo city will be developed as a major tourist attraction and the Echelon Square will be converted into a tourism street. The entire area will be used for different tourism activities and it will be transformed into a dynamic tourism environment, Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Dr Nalaka Godahewa told Daily News Business.

“Tourism is picking up and we need to provide tourists with ways and means of spending money. A sound and light show is planned to be held in Echelon Square to entertain them.

We are calling for tenders from interested parties at present,” he said.

The Urban Development Authority has already demolished unplanned structures to clear the area. The Dutch hospital will be another tourist attraction housing restaurants, souvenir shops and entertainment activities.

There will be open stage area for recreation activities. Plans are under way to set up high quality souvenir shops in main cities to enable the rest of the country to benefit from the growth in the tourism sector.

“We have an integrated plan to filter the economic benefits across the country by way of developing places that tourists could spend freely,” Dr Godahewa said.