COLOMBO, Sept 28 (NNN-SLNEWS) – Sri Lanka’s Tourism Ministry, launched a two-day special programme, to celebrate World Tourism Day, in order to promote the sector in international markets.
World Tourism Day was celebrated this year under the theme “Tourism and Jobs, A better future for all.”
The two-day special programme was launched by Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs Minister, John Amaratunga, in the presence of public and private sector officials and diplomats.
The special programme includes a two-day exhibition, job fair, food street and an entertainment programme.
Speaking at the launch, Amaratunga said, this year, the World Tourism Day is of greater significance for Sri Lanka, following the Easter Sunday bombings, which severely impacted the tourism industry.
“Sri Lanka which has experienced both the ups and downs of tourism, has the potential to be a case study for the global tourism industry,” Amaratunga said.
Amaratunga added that, this year, World Tourism Day events will be held in three different tourism hot-spots in the country, namely the capital Colombo, Bentota and Arugam Bay in the south.
“It is my hope that this special day will help enlighten society at large, on the importance of the tourism industry for our economy, where nearly two million people are estimated to be directly and indirectly dependent on it, accounting for over five percent of the country’s GDP,” the minister said.
World Tourism Day was declared by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, to promote sustainable, responsible and universally accessible tourism across the globe.
The event is intended to raise awareness among international communities, on social, cultural, political and financial dimensions, as well as, to the contribution the sector can make, to reach the sustainable development goals.– NNN-SLNEWS