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LEISURE
Plans underway to have separate pavilions to promote Passikudah at
global travel expos
Passikudah is a destination in its self and in a bid a give a
much-needed boost to Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry, plans are
underway to propose to have a separate pavilion for Passikudah at global
travel exhibitions, said renowned tour operator and Presidential Travel
Award winner Reza Badurdeen.
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Fishing next to elephants in a national park close to Passikudah |
“As Indonesia had developed Bali as a separate destination, Sri Lanka
too, should promote Passikudah as a separate destination. We hope to
propose the authorities to have a separate pavilion to showcase
Passikudah in travel expos, such as World Travel Mart (United Kingdom),
ITB Berlin and UAE’s Arabian Travel Market,” said Badurdeen.
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Reza Badurdeen with a bowl of freshly-caught river prawns |
Reza Badurdeen clinched the much-coveted ‘Presidential Award for
Travel and Tourism Sri Lanka,’ in year 2007 for service excellence.
“Nowadays, travellers prefer and seek activities linked to nature to a
much greater extent. With respect to this aspect, Passikudah is an ideal
destination that had retained its natural splendor.”
Moreover, tourists have the opportunity to travel to Batticaloa,
which is home to a historic Dutch Fort and a lagoon that reportedly has
singing fish in it.
Further, favouring what Passikudah has to offer as a tourist hub,
modern trends of tourism have also evolved much from those of the past.
The Maduru Oya National Park which is only one and a half hours from
Passikudah, is another spectacular region where we could pay more
attention to.
Explaining further about developing tourism in Passikudah, Badurdeen
also said, “In developing infrastructure to uplift tourism in Passikudah,
we must focus on establishing our own runway that would enable tourists
to fly directly to Passikudah via air.”
“We must work towards making this blinking dot on the world map that
is our mother Sri Lanka, more prominent and significant than it had ever
been. I am completely optimistic that we have the full potential and
ability to attain this dream with the immeasurable, astounding natural
beauty of our country and the genuine simple smile of the people that
are not taught, but are from the depths of their souls.”
Badurdeen’s fully-fledged travel company – Riverats, operates
adventure tours in and around Passikudah, Maduru Oya National Park and
other wild life sanctuaries.
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