The Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association (SLRA) recently met the Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake to discuss the proposed ‘Sri Lanka Shopping Festival.’
The fair which will be similar to the ‘Dubai Shopping Festival’, ‘Great Singapore Sale’ and ‘Malaysian Mega Shopping Carnival’ will target foreign and local shoppers by offering various choices and discounts, with considerable savings, while it will be coloured by cultural and sporting events, musical programs and book exhibitions.
Minister Karunanayake proposed to set up a national steering committee by involving State agencies such as the, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade, Ministry of Plantation Industries, Export Development Board, Sri Lanka Tea Board, Sri Lankan Airlines, Hotels Association, Travel Agents Association, and Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association and also the media to work on the event.
A committee will be set up will to drive and coordinate the project in line with the proposed Government allocation of Rs. 50 million for the ‘Colombo Fair’.
Chairman of SLRA, Asoka Peiris was also present. Hussain Sadique of SLRA said, “Currently we see an increase in tourist arrivals and there are limited activities in the country to attract shoppers. Tourist visits are usually only limited to historical locations”.
He said that the project’s main objective is to attract visitors from countries, such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Male and other Asian and European countries together with the Middle East to visit the Sri Lankan Shopping Festival.