Colombo, Oct 2 (newsin.asia) – Sri Lanka is expecting an influx of tourists, especially from South Asia, during the month long Colombo International Shopping Festival which began on Oct 1, Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minister, John Amaratuga said Monday.
The International Shopping Festival, organised by the Sri Lanka Retailers Association in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry will promote Sri Lanka as a global shopping hub. Sri Lanka has proposed to host the festival similar to the world famous ‘Dubai Shopping Festival’, ‘Great Singapore Sale’ and ‘Malaysian Mega Shopping Carnival’.
Amaratunga said the shopping festival will offer goods and items at a discounted rate at various shopping malls and tourists could reap its benefits.
He said the Festival will provide world-class and internationally renowned original brands at competitive prices. The event will be held under the theme ‘One Island; One Big Mall’.
“The Colombo International Shopping Festival has been a roaring success in the past and has now begun to attract tourists. From next year we hope to hold the festival island wide,” Amaratunga said.
Leonard Perera, an official involved in the Colombo International Shopping Festival said that last year an estimated 2.5 million people had attended the festival out of which 30 percent were Chinese tourists and 30 percent were Indian.
He said this year, the Colombo International Shopping Festival had partnered with China’s Union Pay for the benefit of the Chinese visitors.
A special Shopping weekend, will also be held from Oct 21 to 22, Perera said.
In order to promote the event, Sri Lanka has launched a special international advertising campaign to promote Sri Lanka as a ‘Shopping Hub’ in South Asia.
The Colombo International Shopping Festival will conclude on Nov 15.
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