Colombo, Aug 4 (newsin.asia) – Sri Lanka will host a mega international shopping festival in October to promote the island country as a global retail hub, the Sri Lanka Retailers Association (SLRA) said in a statement here Friday.
The shopping festival will be similar to the world renowned Dubai and Singapore shopping festival.
Sri Lanka has already launched a Global Advertising campaign to promote the event by partnering with the country’s national airline carrier, Sri Lankan Airlines, the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (SLEDB), the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, Sri Lanka Tea Board, The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL), The Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka (TAASL) and Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO).
“The Government of Sri Lanka allocated funding in the National Budget 2017 to organize the Shopping Festival; based on representations made by SLRA. In making Sri Lanka a Retail hub this would be one stepping-stone. It is envisaged that the Colombo International Shopping Festival will become an annual Shopping festival similar to those in Dubai and Singapore,” the SLRA said.
The Colombo International Shopping Festival (CISF) will inter-alia focus on Tourist segments from India, Pakistan, Maldives and Bangladesh with an advertising campaign launched in those countries by Sri Lanka Tourism.
Marketing in other countries will be with assistance of respective foreign embassies and
Sri Lankan Airlines.
The festival which will be held throughout the month of October is organised by the Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association, the Tourism Ministry and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.
The Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association (SLRA) with a strong membership of leading organized Retailers and over 2000 retail outlets will offer value bargains /discounts during the Shopping Festival season month from 1 st to 31 st October 2017 in island-wide outlets in collaboration with credit card companies; MasterCard, Visa and AMEX along with Banks and other financial institutions.