At the recently concluded Arab Travel Mart held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Sri Lankan Holidays announced the “Kids Go Free” programme targeting the summer vacations.

Sri Lanka Tourism joins Sri Lankan Holidays through trade partners Connaissance De Ceylan, Jetwing Travels and Walkers Tours to provide this special promotion valid from June 1^st to August 31^st 2008.

“We are initiating new approaches to manage tourism flows and have taken the first step in this direction in this family package to Sri Lanka during the summer.” Said Dileep Mudadeniya Managing Director Sri Lanka Tourism promotion Bureau going on to add “Through this promotion we are in a position to pass on a very good value for money package”

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Colombo Vogue Lifestyles Weekend, organized by Rotary Club Regency in association with Sri Lanka Tourism; a fund raiser for Rotary’s 10 million trees project, Rotary (Sri Lanka) Green Cover, is scheduled to unfold on May 30^th 31^st and June 1^st at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo.

‘Mantra’, the musical show will usher the events on the 30^th and feature renowned New Age music Flutist Bikram Singh, from the group Naadbrahma, India’s Environment Band. Playing in concert with the Indian maestros are Sri Lanka’s own wonder musicians Pradeep Ratnayake, Harsha Markalanda, Alston Joachim, Ravibandu Vidyapati, Chandralal Amarakoon, Jananatha Warakagoda and Rakitha. They will join in with a five member ensemble and fusion drums.

The Colombo Fashion Statement will commence on May 31^st with world renowned designers from the sub continent - Satya Paul, Shobaa De and Ashima-Leena poised to mesmerize audiences with their unique creations, and the European designers Lecoanet Hemant (brand LH) Nathalie Ozier & Noemie Dieudonne from France will treat guests to the best of the west on June 1st.

Colombo Vogue Lifestyles Weekend promises to be a grand event with the participation of reigning Miss India for Miss World, Miss India for Miss Earth, Miss Sri Lanka, Miss Israel and other international male and female models, adding glamour to the event.

Tickets can be purchased from Dwellings, Greenpath, Colombo 3: tel : 2375498 Bullion Exchange Jewellers : tel : 25981507 Iman, adjoining majestic City : tel : 2599273

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Sri Lankan boat building capacity and skills will be on display at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo on 8^th, 9^th and 10^th June 2008.

This first ever boat show to be held in Sri Lanka – ‘Boat Show 2008’ will exhibit the skill and craftsmanship of Sri Lankan boat builders who are trained by the Boat Building Technology Improvement Institute Lanka (GTE) Ltd alongside the work of 31 other countries who have confirmed participation. Sri Lanka was chosen to hold this exhibition in view of it being a hub with main regional competitors being India, Maldives and Singapore.

For more details on the event please visit www.boatshowsrilanka.com

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Jetwing Seashells Negombo hosted ‘Jetwing Go Sri Lankan Culinary Challenge 2008’ last week; where chefs from all the Jetwing hotels competed to present the most authentic Sri Lankan cuisine.

Dispelling the belief that all Sri Lankan food is spicy and pungent, competitors presented well researched dishes made according to age old recipes and showcased the food value and taste of ‘Madu Thalapa’, ‘Bathala Roti’ , ‘Maikkan Malu’ , ‘Sappattu Mal Ambula’ - to name but a few of the delicacies prepared.

It was a gourmet treat for all who were present at Jetwing Seashells, when Sri Lanka’s Master Chef Pubilis of Mt Lavinia Hotel, adorned the occasion as the Chief Guest. He was appreciative of the efforts of the chefs of the Jetwing Group on the research carried out to seek authentic rural Sri Lankan cuisine. He also thanked them for the pains taken to ensure that the dishes presented were authentic and uniquely Sri Lankan.

Renton de Alwis, Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism commended the organizers for the initiative, and said that visitors would be delighted in tasting authentic and unique cuisine of the destination also learning of its nutritional benefits. “It is time that we got away from serving bad imitations of what is often presented with tags as Sri Lankan cuisine and our Sri Lankan Chefs took pride in presenting authentic Sri Lankan dishes to our visitors. so we could delight them with unique experiences of Sri Lanka.” he added.

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Sri Lanka Calling congratulates the Hilton Colombo team of culinary experts who participated in the in Dubai last week, on earning the 3^rd place, beating 19 other competing teams.

Well done! Anura Uduwarachchi, Champika Perera, PS Maneesha and H N P Fernando of the Hilton team.

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Guangzhou International Travel Fair (GITF) in Southern China came alive with a touch of Sri Lanka, in April this year.

British company KE Adventure Travels was adjudged the Best Trekking Operator in the world by National Geographic Adventure magazine after a study of over 200 adventure travel operators from the world over. KE Adventures operates in Sri Lanka through the adventure travel arm of Walkers Tours - Nature Odyssey.

The study focussed on “which operators teach their clients about the places they visit, who pushes the frontiers of discovery and adventure and who gives back to the planet through travel.” They also surveyed “On interpretation, sustainability, quality of service and – the spirit of adventure”

Zhang Jinfan, the leader of the 16 member team from the Yunnan Province Tourism Authority who visited Sri Lanka on an observation and fact finding mission organised by Spark Link Travels said, “We were fascinated by the abundance of wildlife here and were overjoyed on seeing herds of elephants when we went on a jeep safari to the Minneriya National Park”. He went on to add “In China we have to visit the Zoological Gardens to see elephants”.