Embassy of Sri Lanka announces second ‘Signature Tour with the Ambassador’

Thursday, 30 June 2011 01:39 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Sri Lankan Embassy and the International Club of Washington DC (ICDC) joined hands last week to launch the second annual ‘Signature Tour with the Ambassador’ over a colorful evening of Sri Lankan music, dancing and cuisine.

The dinner, hosted by Sri Lankan Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya, was attended by more than 100 people, most of them members of ICDC, a leading social network based in the greater Washington region.

“We cordially invite you to visit and experience Sri Lanka, an island filled with 21 million smiles,” said Ambassador Wickramasuriya, welcoming the guests to his residence. “The signature tour, which is scheduled from 10-20 August, is an exclusive travel adventure in many respects and I will be personally accompanying you around my country.”

ICDC President Sanjaya Hettihewa told the dinner guests that the club was thrilled once again to join the embassy in launching a second tour and that he was certain that many ICDC members would join the tour in August.

He also pointed out that there was an increasing number of Americans who want to visit Sri Lanka, a country with more than 2,500 years of written history and several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The signature tour series is designed to bring Americans to Sri Lanka, which is experiencing a tourism boom. Tourist arrivals in 2010 were 52 per cent above those in 2009, and for the first quarter of 2011, arrivals were 65 per cent over the same quarter in 2010. Sri Lanka’s tourism authority is racing to add 30,000 four-star plus hotel rooms to the island nation by 2016 to meet in the increased demand.

The maiden signature tour took place in August 2010 with 20 tourists. Encouraged by the enthusiastic feedback, the embassy is now planning the second tour with an even more attractive itinerary.

Nalaka Dias, Vice President of Kanmarc Travel Services of New Jersey, is coordinating the tour with the Sri Lankan Embassy. He also made a detailed presentation of the tour and the sites that would be included.

Those who are interested in joining the upcoming tour or receiving more information may contact the Embassy’s Commercial Section (tel. 202 483 4029) or Kanmarc Travel Services (Tel: 732 619 2192/2146).