Sri Lanka Tourism Participates for Korea World Travel Fair 2014 (KOTFA 2014)

Sri Lanka Tourism participates for the 29th Korea World Travel Fair 2014 (KOTFA 2014) held from 29th May to 1st June 2014 in Seoul.

KOTFA is the leading Travel Fair organized by the Korean World Travel Fair Committee, that is being held annually in Korea having participation of more than 500 travel related organizations from over 60 countries (KOTFA 2013 Report) and the only travel fair being held in Seoul, Hosted by the Korean Tourism Association.

KOTFA has been identified as a proper plat form to exhibit Sri Lanka in Korean market as SLTPB participates annually together with trade participants.

Korea has been identified as one of the most prospective potential markets considering the tourism arrivals to Sri Lanka. Adequate marketing campaigns and promotional activities carried out in order to maintain the continuous improvements of the arrival numbers from Korea, to attract high spending Korean tourist and also to make the Koreans aware about the attractions of Sri Lanka.

International Conference on Digital Marketing 2014

Organized by The International Institute of Knowledge Management, the International Conference of Digital Marketing is to be held at the Galadari Hotel, Colombo on 03rd and 04th June 2014. The conference seeks to involve researchers, scholars and professionals examining theories, strategies, challenges, and future trends of Digital Marketing

Poson Festival – June 12th

Marking the birth of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Poson poya day is much celebrated event and dates back in 3rd Century BC when king Devanampiyatissa was converted to Buddhism by Arahat Maha Mahinda, the son of King Asoka, the Emperor of India, after which Buddhism was declared the State religion.

The entire country celebrates this significant milestone, but it all culminates at Mihintale, known as the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, for it is believed to be there that the conversion took place. In fact it is in the Ambasthale Dagoba, the temple in Mihintale, accessible by 1840 steps, that it is in believed that the historic encounter took place.

On Poson poya day, many devotees make their way to temple to spend reflective hours in meditation while there are also several sil campaigns, Dan Sal, Poson devotional songs and pandols among others.

Sancharaka Udawa – “A Must Exploit Opportunity”

The Press launch of Sancharaka Udawa 2014 was held on yesterday 12th May 2014 at Monara Restaurant of Sri Lanka Tourism & Hotel Mgmt. Institute, with the participation of many industry members, local media and travel industry stake holders. The head table of the press conference was represented by Dr. D.S. Jayaweera – Director General, Sri Lanka Tourism, Mr. Rumy Jauffer - Managing Director, Sri Lanka Tourism, Mr. Mahen Kariyawasam -SAITO President, Mr. Harith Perera- SLAITO, Mr. Ziyan Ameen- President SLAPCEO, and Mr. Nilmin Nanayakkara – Immediate Past President SLAITO.

Sancharaka Udawa 2014 exhibition & convention is an important annual event for all stakeholders engaged in the tourism industry. Be it a hotel of different size or scale, a services provider of different thatcher, or a supplier with diversity the Sancharaka Udawa 2014 is an opportunity, which house their needs and solutions under one roof.

Better than before, this year’s event held for the 4th consecutive year on 27th and 28th of June 2014 at the Sri Lanka Exhibition & Convention Centre. It will consist over 200 stalls and a special pavilion of outbound tourism service providers. Sancharaka Udawa 2014 is organized by Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) together with Sri Lanka Tourism to bring together a wide network of personnel across the industry. It is the only gathering of this nature in Sri Lanka - since its inception in 2011.

Concurrently the general membership of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound tour Operators (SLAITO) will hold their Special General Meeting on 27th June 2014 at 9.00 am at the same venue. This will ensure the attendance of key players in the Tourism Industry at Sancharaka Udawa 2014.

Vesak Festival - May 14th

Vesak is the main Buddhist religious festival in Sri Lanka. During this time, people celebrate the triple anniversary of Lord Buddha - his birth, his attaining of Enlightenment and his passing away into Nirvana.
Also known as the Buddhist Festival of Light, colorful bamboo framed lanterns adorn the interior of every home and incredible luminous displays decorate the streets of most towns. Visit Bhauddoloka Mawatha, the main street in Colombo, to catch this glowing spectacle in full glory.
Vesak marks the first month of the Buddhist Calendar. This is a day spent in reflective prayer as people cease wordly pursuits and engage themselves in religious activities. Devotees Buddhists pray in temples from dawn until the dusk. As the sun sets, devotees partake in processions and return to the temples in the evening to hear monks read stories from sacred texts.
Stalls on the roadside distribute free refreshments to passers-by and there are some fantastic mime and street theatre performances, staged on tall platforms near temples in cities and towns throughout the country.

Serendib Scops Owl

The Serendib scops owl (Otus thilohoffmanni) is the most recently discovered bird of Sri Lanka. It was originally located by its unfamiliar poo-ooo call in the Kitulgala rainforest by prominent Sri Lankan ornithologist Deepal Warakagoda. Six years later, it was finally seen by him on 23 January 2001 in Sinharaja, and formally described as a species new to science in 2004.Apart from Sinharaja and Kitulgala, it has also been found at Runakanda Reserve in Morapitiya and Eratna Gilimale. Known as Panduwan Bassa in Sinhala.

It is the first new bird to be discovered in Sri Lanka since 1868, when the Sri Lanka whistling thrush—then Ceylon whistling thrush—(Myophonus blighi) was discovered. It is also the 24th (according to some authorities the 27th) endemic bird species for Sri Lanka.

The habitat of the Serendib scops owl is in the southern rain forests of Sri Lanka. There is an altitudinal range from 30 to 50 metres. This owl has no competition from other nocturnal birds, the territories are completely different. This species has a very small population, at the end of January 2006 only 80 of them were known to exist.The places that it is expected to be found are in five protected areas, like the Forest Reserve or the Proposed Reserve by Sri Lanka. They seem to be declining because of the loss of habitat and the degradation. The first two hours of darkness is when the owl hunts for its food.

This rare species inhabits the rainforests in the southwestern part of Sri Lanka. Like most owls, it is strictly nocturnal and hunts insects (e.g. beetles and moths) close to the ground. It begins calling at dusk, its frequency rising again some two hours before dawn.

Unlike the other two species of scops owl in Sri Lanka, collared scops owl (Otus bakkamoena) and oriental scops owl (Otus sunia), it does not have ear tufts and its facial disc is only weakly defined. The general colour of this 16.5 cm long, short-tailed owl is reddish brown with paler underparts, spotted all over with fine black markings. The irides are tawny yellow (more orangish in male) and the feet are a pale fleshy colour. Tarsi are feathered for less than half their length. The claws and bill are a pale ivory colour

Fox Hill Super Cross on 19th April 2014

Sri Lanka Military Academy conducts Fox Hill Super Cross to raise funds to elevate the infrastructure facilities of the Academy to be on par with other Military Academies in the region.

In year 1913, a British ship by the name of “HMS FOX” (HMS - Her Majesty’s Ship) docked at the Trincomalee Harbour for repairs and its crew visited Diyatalawa as there was a sanatorium for naval personnel of the Royal Navy’s East India Station. Seeing the panoramic beauty of the area, the Captain of the ship was fascinated with the idea of leaving the insignia of the ship on a prominent hillock to remember their visit to this beautiful town, Diyatalawa.

Thus there appeared on the face of the hillock as we see it today, the image of a fox with the name “HMS FOX” and the year “1913” out of white granite. The famous Fox Hill came into being in this manner.

The Fox Hill racing track is unique and holds a prominent place in Sri Lanka for its location, salubrious climes and attractive surrounding. It is greatly cherished by the racing drivers and riders for its challenging nature and loved by spectators for the entertainment and fun it offers them.

The roar of fine tuned engines will reverberate in the scenic hill station of Diyatalawa, home of the Sri Lanka Military Academy, once again on 19th April 2014 signalling that the 2014 battle for motor racing glory has begun in earnest.

Some 175 drivers and riders are expected to be registered for this iconic event organized by the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) and the Sri Lanka Auto-sports Drivers Association (SLADA). However, more than 200 drivers and riders including competitors from overseas are expected to show up on race day.

According to organizers two leading racing drivers from India have been invited and three top Indian riders are among the confirmed participations.

This year’s Fox Hill Super Cross comprises of 12 motor car and 14 motorcycle events approximately including the championship races which will be taken into account in awarding the Championship trophies to the country`s top drivers and riders at the end of the 2014 racing season.

The championship races are grouped as Group SL-GT up to 3500 cc and Group SL-H up to 1600 cc in the motor car category and Group MX-Racing Motocross bikes up to 125 cc 2 Stroke, up to 250 cc 4 stroke and Group MX-Racing Motocross up to 85 cc (under 16 years as at 31 December 2014) in the motorcycle category.

Trucks and Jeeps Diesel up to 5500 cc and Super Motored up to 2500 cc (2 stroke and 4 stroke) and cars up to 1500 cc in the special motor car category are among the other popular races that are expected to add to the thrills and enjoyment of the competition.

The organizing committee has said that all arrangements had been made for a spectacular and unforgettable racing event.