Embassy of Sri Lanka in Tokyo holds seminar to promote Japanese investments

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Tokyo organised a high profile “Sri Lanka Promotional Seminar” consisting of over 150 officials and personnel engaged in the sphere of tourism and travel trade, leaders of corporates and industry of Japan, senior bureaucrats and technocrats of the Government of Japan and select invitees.  The said Seminar was held at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo and was graced by Deputy Minister of Disaster Management Duleep Wijesekera and SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe, as well as Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Japan Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda among others.

A number of addresses and speeches were delivered by authorities in the field of tourism, investments and other commercial activities such as tea and ayurveda, thus comprehensively briefing the existing and potential officials, particularly, in the arena of tourism and travel trade and investments, among others. The Sri Lanka Promotional Seminar was held, as one of the events of a series of events, in order to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Sri Lanka.

Ambassador Karannagoda in his welcome remarks to the select audience and invitees of stature, delineated the opportunities and economic vistas of Sri Lanka as well as the touristic potential of the country.  Further, the Ambassador impressed the fact that today Sri Lanka has absolute peace and political stability with the rule of law and a fully functioning democracy entrenched with democratic virtues and values as well as increasing commercial and business potential, particularly, to foreign investors.  

Wickramasinghe who was the Guest of Honour at the said Seminar, stated that Sri Lanka is well poised and well positioned to be an economic and aviation nerve centre as well as a Touristic hub in South and Southeast Asia. In his address, Wickramasinghe convincingly projected and portrayed the unique and significant touristic features and sites Sri Lanka possesses.

He also underlined the importance of connectivity and integration between and among the cities and the countries in order to promote and augment commercial and trading activities as well as tourism.

Wickramasinghe added that a number of noted and reputed travel and tourism magazines and journals have chosen Sri Lanka as one of the most sought after touristic destinations in the world.  

Comprehensive and informative presentations were delivered on exports of Sri Lanka to Japan, Tourism, and Economic perspective of Sri Lanka from a leading Japanese businessmen based in Sri Lanka, among others. The Chairman of New World Securities, T. Igarashi, who has been in Sri Lanka for over two decades, also highlighted not only the commercial and investment opportunities in Sri Lanka but the increasing opportunities in the realm of tourism and travel trade in Sri Lanka. The Commercial Counsellor of the Mission expounded the basket of goods & services which could be exported to Japan since the cost of production in Sri Lanka is much less than that of in Japan.

In his address, he focused on the utility of tea to consumers and the increasing opportunities to export different and diverse kinds of tea from Sri Lanka to Japan. In order to entertain and enthral the audience as well as to project the culture and tradition of Sri Lanka, Channa-Upuli Dance Troupe had a number of performances at the Seminar.

The Deputy Chief of Mission delivered the vote of thanks and proposed, as customary, a toast to Emperor Akihito and the peoples of Japan and to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the peoples of Sri Lanka for good health and for well-being. The seminar concluded with a dinner reception.