Tourism zone to mark World Tourism Day

This year’s World Tourism Day will be celebrated under the theme of ‘Tourism - Linking Cultures’ set by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. 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 main function will be held on September 27 with arrangements to release ten 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 rupees five (4 stamps) and fifteen (2 stamps). Also four Airmail stamps valuing Rs 30, 35, 40 and 45 will also be released with this.

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

Two thousand schoolchildren from 110 different schools in the Western province will participate in a competition to draw a 1 km long painting in this area named as ‘Colombo Wall’.

The painting will showcase the Colombo city in the future as seen through the eyes of these children.

The World Tourism Day celebrations in Sri Lanka have been planned to implement 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 schoolchildren, career guidance work -shops, cultural shows, food festivals and many more events in provincial and national level specially focused on the youth taking into account the tourism potential in the country in the coming years.

A special Food Fiesta will be held in the tourism zone with the participation of Colombo Hoteliers Association.

Apart from this special vocational training programmes will be organized targeting the youth and schoolchildren for educating them on the prospects of the tourism industry.