Colombo, Oct 20 (newsin.asia) – A three day mega international shopping weekend kicked off in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Friday aimed at promoting Sri Lanka’s local products, tea and spices, globally.
The Colombo International Shopping Festival which is organised by the Sri Lanka Retailers Association in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry was declared open by Tourism Minister John Amaratunga. The Minister said the event would help promote Sri Lanka as a global shopping destination.
“Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean was well noted by ancient traders who traveled from east to west and vice versa. It formed an integral part of the original maritime silk route. Today we are seeing a revival of these trading traditions with the launch of the Colombo International Shopping Festival, spanning the length and breadth of the country,” Amaratunga said.
Amaratunga earlier 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 in addition to promoting local brands, the Festival will also 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.
He said this year, the Colombo International Shopping Festival had partnered with China’s Union Pay for the benefit of the Chinese visitors.