Sri Lanka sets sail: Minister unveils ambitious plans for sports tourism

Harin Fernando

Colombo, Feb, 7.30PM – Sri Lanka’s Sports and Tourism Minister, Harin Fernando, announced the initiation of comprehensive plans aimed at promoting sports tourism in the country. Speaking on a TV show, Minister Fernando highlighted the positive impact of these measures on both tourism and sports.

“We have initiated a lot of plans to promote sports tourism. Those steps boosted the development of tourism in a shorter period of time. This is a high-end program. Extreme Sports is the world’s biggest adventure TV channel. We have started a program with them,” said Minister Fernando.

He further mentioned the launch of a global campaign for sports tourism, marking the first such initiative in Sri Lanka in the past 15 years. “That campaign’s results will come definitely. Without them, we brought 1.5 million tourists last year. This year, we hope to bring 2.5 million tourists; we are saying that because we are pretty sure. It’s visible in our target and our forecast,” added Fernando.

Minister Fernando revealed plans to introduce Marine Tourism across the island, scheduled to kick off on March 31. “Our country is surrounded by the sea. But around our country, there is a shipwrecks, a 143 ships which were drowned during World War II. To dive into those 143 ships,” explained Fernando.

In a bid to attract attention, the minister mentioned roping in one of India’s biggest cricketers for their advertising campaign. “Then people will realize how it happens. Also, we take steps to promote golf tourism. In the coming days, we play a legends tournament with players such as Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, and others in Kandy for a fortnight. Furthermore, Asian Legend Cricket will take place with the participation of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, etc., in Dambulla,” he added.

With these initiatives, Sri Lanka aims to position itself as a premier destination for sports enthusiasts and tourists alike, leveraging its natural beauty and diverse sporting offerings to attract visitors from around the globe.

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