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Muscovites flock in numbers to savor the sri lankan cultural activities
30 May – 1 June 2014

Mega Tourism Caravan 6 continued its activities on Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1 in the beautiful city of Moscow where the Sri Lankan grandeur was on show at the Mega Moscow – Belya Dacha Mall. With a monthly visitor turnover of over 2,450,000, Mega Moscow stands as one of the most visited locations in the Moscow city. Thus it was perhaps the best possible location for Mega Tourism Caravan 6 to stop by.
The events on both days commenced with an elaborate introduction to Sri Lanka by the HE Udayanga Weeratunga, which was well received by the large gathering present at the Mega Moscow. Thereafter the gathering was entertained through shopping mall activations which included; Sri Lankan traditional dancing performances together with a “Perehara” which was a major attraction. Apart from these performances, leaflets/souvenirs, tourism promotional videos and T-shirts were distributed amongst those who were present in the mall. In addition more than five thousand Ceylon tea cups were served to all those who had gathered to witness the event.
Amongst the Sri Lankan traditional items on display at the shopping mall handicrafts produced by the State owned Gift and Souvenir Boutique “Laksala” attracted a large number of visitors. Laksala, the renowned Gift and Souvenir Boutique in Sri Lanka lived up to its reputation by not only displaying the items but also assisting in conducting elaborate explanations on the items which were on display. The demonstration of carving of a mask by an expert craftsman created intrigue amongst the spectators who showed keenness to get to know the nitty-gritty of the art of carving masks
The role played by Sri Lanka Tourist Board in supporting the efforts of the Sri Lankan Embassy in the Russian Federation in organizing these activities is also worthy of mention. Sri Lanka Tourist Board which is the lead agency in promoting tourism in Sri Lanka actively participated in the event keeping in line with its two main objectives: Marketing and promoting Sri Lanka directly or indirectly as a tourist and travel destination of quality in accordance with the Tourism Development Plan and promoting Sri Lanka as a gateway to the South Asian Regions; and making Sri Lanka known as the centre of excellence in tourism management and development in the region.
Thus under the guidance and supervision of HE Udayanga Weeratunga the 3rd and 4th days of Mega Tourism Caravan 6 were a total success.

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Tour Operators in Moscow attends a Workshops on Sri Lankan Tourism
30 May 2014
Friday 30 May 2014 was the second successful day in the 7000 km journey of “Mega Tourism Caravan 6″ and the day’s tourism promotional activities were held in the Moscow city the capital of Russia. Before dwelling on the day’s activities a word about the beautiful Moscow city would be appropriate.
Moscow has a long history and derives its name from the river that runs through it, the Moskva. It began as a medieval city and developed into what was known as the Grand Duchy of Moscow, an administrative region ruled by a prince. ‘Grand Duchy’ is used to identify a state or territory ruled by a grand duke or duchess. The grand duchy preceded the formation of Russia as a nation. Modern Moscow the capital city of Russia has in its landscape a blend of historical and modern architecture; magnificent palaces, churches, and monuments surrounded by modern skyscrapers. The city is a major political, economic, cultural and scientific center in Russia and in Eastern Europe today. Whilst the Moscow city attracts millions of tourist from countries across the world according to Forbes 2013, it also has the largest number of billionaire residents in the world.
The day 2 activities of Mega Tourism Caravan 6 in the Moscow city comprised of a workshop conducted in the morning for tour operators and their agents at the Pushkin/Chekov conference hall of “Radisson Slavyanskaya” hotel and two “Shopping Mall Activation” in the afternoon and night at the Mega-Belya Dacha Mall.
Nestled by the banks of the Moscow River, the Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel and Business Center in Moscow offers an ideal location, facilities and atmosphere for the promotion of tourism. Making full use of this scenic location the day’s activities began with the conduct of a workshop for the Tour operators and their agents. The workshop organized in collaboration with the reputed Tour Operators Biblio Globus, saw the participation of over one hundred and fifty representatives from the tourism industry in Russia. His Excellency Udayanga Weeratunga after welcoming the tour agents conducted a very informative and an educative presentation on Sri Lankan Tourism. Drawing from a wealth of knowledge he posses on the Sri Lankan Tourist Industry and speaking in fluent Russian, the ambassador elaborately covered important aspects such as history, climatic conditions, major tourist attractions, major cities, visa procedures and recent infrastructure development during the presentation.
At the conclusion of the presentation all the attendees were presented with many promotional materials and a Catalogue on Sri Lanka Tourism in Russian language containing information about Sri Lankan history, people, festivals, visa procedures, currency, Sri Lankan food, culture and heritage. This comprehensive catalogue is sure to provide valuable information to its readers on cities such as; Colombo, Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa, Kandy and the other townships in the hill country along with other relevant details on wildlife, beaches and star class hotels with the facilities provided.
The eye catching dancing performances of the Dancing Troupe directed by Chandana Wickramasinghe entertained the participants and received a well deserved appreciation for their flawless performances.
The Shopping Mall activations in the afternoon and evening too were a tremendous success where all those present were once again afforded a glimpse into Sri Lankan culture. Amongst many activities at the shopping mall the display of many a handicraft produced by the State owned Gift and Souvenir Boutique “Laksala” attracted a large number of visitors. Established under the National Skills Act of 1982 this renowned Gift and Souvenir Boutique operates through ten branches located island wide and offer the widest variety of all Sri Lankan products at a reasonable price. Most importantly, Laksala enables the numerous industries that supply goods to it to stay both profitable and in business.
Another major attraction during the shopping mall activation was the eye catching dancing performances of the Sri Lankan Dancing troupe. The ‘Perehara’ which travelled through the mall provided the spectators with a different kind of an experience. Distribution of booklets, leaflets, T shirts and gift packs too were carried out at the venue whilst the liquid tea service organized by the embassy served more than one thousand visitors who were present at the mall.

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Sri lankan culture and traditions showcased at Lotte Plaza
29 May 2014
DEV_1054The grand Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Show- Mega Tourism Caravan 6 commenced its activities with a Cultural Show followed by a Banquet, fittingly named ” Sri Lankan Night” at the Crystal Ballroom of the hotel ” Lotte Plaza” in Moscow, on the night of 29 May 2014. Meticulously planned and minutely executed under the close supervision of His Excellency Udayanga Weeratunga the Ambassador to Russian Federation, the ‘Sri Lankan Night’ at the Lotte Plaza showcasing the ‘Beauty and Traditions’ of Sri Lanka was a tremendous success and gave the right impetus to other activities to follow in the Mega Tourism Caravan 6 show.
The presence of over 200 guests at the ‘Sri Lankan Night’ comprising members of the diplomatic corps, leading travel and tour operators in Moscow, 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 photo exhibition which greeted the guests on their arrival added a lot of colour to the event too with over 120 photos displayed on visits of His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Republic of Kazakhstan. The photos on display also included photos of major tourist destinations in Sri Lanka such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Kandy, Sigiriya, Pinnawela and Nuwara Eliya along with scenic and pristine beaches on both Western and Eastern coasts, Hotels, Sri Lankan cuisine, traditional dancing and wild life. One of the 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.
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 Russia 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.
The Crystal Ballroom of the Hotel Lotte Plaza in Moscow where the event was held is one of Moscow’s newest hotels. Situated in the heart of Moscow’s shopping and financial districts, Lotte hotel is a much sought after hotel for its grandeur. Thus the hotel provided the guests with a luxurious environment to enjoy the unique evening of Sri Lankan dance and music. The “Three Michelin” star chef, Pierre Gagnaire, along with a team trained exclusively in Paris, presided over the reception which followed the cultural show.
With the auspicious beginning in Moscow the three week long “Mega Tourism Caravan 6” will conduct shows in other Russian cities of Kazan, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd and Rostov, finally culminating with the show in Yerevan the capital of Armenia. The journey of “Mega Tourism Caravan 6” will cover approximately 7000km. This show is a continuation of the programme launched by the Sri Lankan Embassy in the Russian Federation to promote tourism where the previous event the “Mega Tourism Road Show” was held in October 2013, in Ukraine.
The enormous task of organizing this 3 week long tourism promotion campaign, which has now become an annual event in the activity calendar of the Sri Lankan Embassy in the Russian Federation would not have been possible, if not for the resolute and untiring efforts of His Excellency Udayanga Weeratunga, the Ambassador of Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation. His vast experience and hard earned knowledge coupled with the flair for meticulous planning were the main contributory factors for the tremendous success achieved during a short span of time in popularizing Sri Lanka as a tourist destination in the CIS countries.

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