Sri Lanka undertakes major Ceylon tea promotion in New York and Washington

Plantation Industries Minister Navin Dissanyake addressing the gathering while (from left): Tea Council of USA President Peter Goggi, Ambassador for Sri Lanka to the USA Prasad Kariyawasam, Ministry of Plantation Industries Director Dhammika Ranatunga, Sri Lanka Tea Board Chairman Rohan Pethiyagoda and Summit Commercial Real Estate Principal James M. Connelly look on

Displaying of Ceylon Tea (from left): Sri Lanka Tea Board Chairman Rohan Pethiyagoda, Tea Council of USA President Peter Goggi, Minister of Plantation Industries of Sri Lanka Navin Dissanayake, Ambassador for Sri Lanka to the USA Prasad Kariyawasam and Honorary Ceylon Tea Ambassador to the North America David De Candia

Recognising the importance of the ever increasing tea market in the United States, Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington in collaboration with Sri Lanka Tea Board organised roadshows in New York and Washington to promote Ceylon Tea with special focus on brand promotions and distinguishing the difference in flavour, strength and aroma of the different agro climatic regional teas of Sri Lanka.  

A Ceylon Tea Pavilion at the Sumer Fancy Food Show, North America’s largest food and beverage fair at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center in New York, with the participation of Bogawantalawa Tea Marketing Ltd., Anverally & Sons Ltd., Euro-Scan Exports Ltd., Shan Teas Ltd., Fresh Tea Exports Ltd., Enrich Tea & Food Export Ltd. and Ceylon Tenny Teas Ltd., together with Sri Lanka Tea Board displayed a wide range of value added Ceylon tea products attracting many visitors.  

Minister of Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake, Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam and Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dr. Rohan Perera and Sri Lanka Tea Board Chairman Rohan Pethiyagoda graced the opening of the promotional event at this show.

A Business Networking dinner held in Sri Lanka Mission in New York sponsored by the Sri Lanka Tea Board created a platform for the visiting Sri Lanka Tea exporters for interaction with the key stakeholders of the tea industry in the United States.  

Minister Dissanayake delivering the keynote address at this event stated that with the anticipated increase in tea consumption in the United States, the Sri Lankan tea industry can explore new business collaboration to increase Ceylon Tea market share in the United States. Leading importers, distributes, tea industry media personnel and officials of the US Tea Association attended the business networking session.

The Sri Lanka delegation led by Minister Navin Dissanayake joined the breakfast seminar profiling Ceylon Tea held at the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce on 28 June with a large gathering of tea connoisseurs, tea trade members and media personnel. A presentation on Ceylon Tea was made at this seminar by Honorary Tea Ambassador for Sri Lanka in North America David De Candia, followed by a documentary film on Sri Lanka tea industry, as well as a tea tasting session of regional teas of Sri Lanka, with a range of specialty regional Sri Lankan teas to taste. 

On 29 June the first ever ‘Ceylon Tea Festival’ in Washington DC was held at the Embassy of Sri Lanka and inaugurated by Plantation Industries Minister Navin Dissanayake. Walters Bay, Baily’s Tea, Basilur Tea, Tekola, AMBA Estate, VDM Trading Ltd., BPL Tea Ltd., together with Sri Lanka Tea Board, displayed a wide range of Ceylon Tea products, offering hot and iced tea varieties for the consumers to taste. Over 150 selected invitees comprising of relevant stakeholders, including President of the United States Tea Association Peter Goggi, senior officials of the United States, leading importers, retailers and media personnel were in attendance. 

Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam in his welcome address highlighting the significance of this first ever Ceylon Tea Festival in Washington DC, emphasised the unique characteristics of Ceylon Tea as a beverage with numerous health benefits, a product with a focus on quality and produced with social responsibility, Sri Lanka is offering tea with a conscience to give the best to the United States consumers for their health and drinking pleasure.   

Launching of the commercial advertisement on ‘Ceylon Tea’ as part of the global promotional   campaign of Ceylon Tea by Minister Navin Dissanayake and his keynote remarks alluding to excellent bilateral political and trade relations between the United States and Sri Lanka were the highlights of the Ceylon Tea Festival.  

A detailed presentation on Ceylon Tea was made by Sri Lanka Tea Board Director Promotion Premala Srikantha at the events held in New York and Washington DC.