Pristine Beauty and Vibrant Culture of Sri Lanka shared with People of Ukraine
01-02th October 2014
Mega Tourism Caravan 7, the unique Tourism promotional event organized and executed by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Russian Federation concurrently accredited to Ukraine in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, arrived in Kiev the capital city of Ukraine on the 29 September 2014. Travelling from Minsk the capital city of Belarus where the event was launched and stopping over at Vitebsk and Gomel again in the Republic of Belarus, the arrival in Kiev signaled another milestone; travelling almost 1000 km overland whilst enthralling locals with eye catching performances.
Kiev is the largest and the capital city of Ukraine. The history of Kiev goes back 1400 years and according to legend, Kiev was founded by three brothers, Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv, and their sister Lybid. The legend also states that Kiev has been named after Kyi, the eldest brother. Today the modern Kiev city having a mix of the old (Kiev has preserved about 70 percent of more than 1,000 buildings built during 1907–1914) and the new, seen in everything from the architecture to the stores and to the people themselves remains the capital of Ukraine.
Mega Tourism Promotion Caravan 7 activities in the beautiful city of Kiev started with a workshop for Tea agents in the morning of 29 September 2014 at the Ramda Encore hotel which is situated on the outskirts of the city. It was followed by a Cultural Show and a Gala Banquet, fittingly named ” Sri Lankan Night” once again at the Ramada Encore hotel.
Meticulously planned and minutely executed under the close supervision of His Excellency Udayanga Weeratunga the Ambassador to Russian Federation concurrently accredited to Ukraine, the ‘Sri Lankan Night’ at the Ramada Encore Hotel was a tremendous success and gave the right impetus to other activities to follow in the Mega Tourism Caravan 7 show.
The presence of over 200 guests at the ‘Sri Lankan Night’ comprising members of the diplomatic corps, leading travel and tour operators in Kiev, prominent businessmen in the tourism and tea trade, leading print and electronic media representatives and the members of the Sri Lankan community added glamour and quality to the evening.
The lighting of the traditional oil lamp marked the auspicious beginning of the evening’s programme. Dignitaries from the Ukraine Foreign Ministry, members of the Diplomatic Corps and a few other distinguished guests participated in this very traditional Sri Lankan custom of lighting the oil lamp.
Addressing the august gathering the Ambassador eloquently explained why Sri Lanka is considered the best tourist destination in the Asian region and the recent acknowledgement of it by many internationally renowned tour operators. He also spoke of the long standing friendship between Ukraine and Sri Lanka and the strong bonds between the peoples of both the countries and invited all those present from the travel trade to encourage their customers to visit Sri Lanka which the Ambassador assured would be an experience to remember.
One of the other highlights of the evening was the Sri Lankan Cultural Show presented by the Dance Guild of maestro Chandana Wickremasinghe encapsulating rich Sri Lankan culture through traditional dancing, drum fusions, mask dancing and a medley of folk songs.
Ramada Encore hotel in Kiev where the Sri Lankan Night was held is an exciting new hotel and an ideal venue for conferencing and meetings. The concept is simple – fresh, stylish, vibrant and upbeat, with comfortable, contemporary accommodation, delicious food and innovative design. Thus the hotel provided the guests with a luxurious environment to enjoy the unique evening of Sri Lankan dance and music.
The role played by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau in supporting the efforts of the Sri Lanka Embassy in organizing Mega Tourism Promotion Caravan 7 cannot be overstated. Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, under the true leadership of Mr. Bashwara Goonarathna is the key institution in promoting the tourism industry in Sri Lanka. The bureau takes the lead in promoting tourist industry in Sri Lanka and making Sri Lanka a gateway to the South Asian Region as well as making Sri Lanka known as the centre of excellence in tourism management and development in the region. Due to Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureu’s untiring efforts a considerable mileage has been gained in making Sri Lanka the preferred destination for tourists from CIS countries.
