Showcasing Sri Lanka’s natural beauty in Almaty
24 – 25 April 2013
Showcasing Sri Lanka’s natural beauty in Almaty the previse capital city of Kazakhstan, the Mega Tourism Caravan 2, the tourism promotion campaign on wheels launched by the Sri Lankan Embassy in the Russian Federation continued its promotional campaign providing a unique opportunity to people of this city of sun and light to savor the very essence of Sri Lankan culture.
The tourism promotion activities on both days included Shopping Mall Activation programme at the ADK- Almaty Mall in the center of Almaty city. “ADK- Almaty Mall” is the largest multi-functional shopping complex in Almaty. A wide selection of shops, entertainment, cafes and restaurants, modern design, a perfect combination of the latest architectural and engineering solutions, convenient location center – everything is provided for the comfort of visitors. Thus on both days large crowds flocked to witness the Shopping Mall Activation programme.
The events on both days commenced with an elaborate introduction to Sri Lanka by the HE Udayanga Weeratunga, which proved to be a crowd-pleaser. Thereafter the gathering was entertained through a variety of cultural and other activities which included; Sri Lankan traditional dancing performances together with a “Perehara”. 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 four thousand Ceylon teacups were served to all those who had gathered to witness the event.
Amongst the Sri Lankan traditional items on display at the ADK- Almaty Mall handicrafts produced by the State owned Gift and Souvenir Boutique “Laksala” attracted a large number of visitors. Living up to its reputation Laksala, the renowned Gift and Souvenir Boutique in Sri Lanka not only exhibited the items but also explained the production process of these items including the cultural relevance. 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.
Apart from all these activities the distribution of leaflets/souvenirs, tourism promotional videos and T-shirts were carried out whilst more than four thousand Ceylon teacups were served to all the visitors.
Once again of the key contributory factor for the tremendous success of this event was the untiring efforts of HE Udayanga Weeratunga, the Ambassador to Russian Federation. His meticulous planning coupled with the extensive knowledge of CIS countries was the key to successful execution of the MEGA Tourism Caravan 2 programme in Kazakhstan.
