Sri Lanka Expo 2012 offers fruitful trade opportunities

Sri Lanka's premier international trade fair "Sri Lanka Expo 2012"with the attendance of over 1,300 foreign investors and buyers from across the globe, held in Colombo came to a conclusion March 31.

 

Expo 2012, organized by the Export Development Board, provided an ideal opportunity to Sri Lanka Tourism industry to promote its product to the International Market. At the end of the event, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) had been able to achieve its targets successfully.

The stall of the SLTPB was one of the eye catchers in the event as it symbolized the unique Sri Lankan identity. The visitors to the stall were entertained by the displays of practical craftsmanship of Sri Lankan masks, beeralu lace making etc. During the 4 days of the exhibition, the stall was also filled with mesmerizing cultural performances by the cultural dance troops of Kirindiwela Central
College and Minuwangoda Nalanda Balika Vidyalaya in Gampaha district organized by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau under the Ministry of Economic Development.

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, along with the EDB also took them steps to facilitate 50 international journalists and 55 international travel agents to participate in Expo 2012. These journalists and tour operators represented many countries of the world including Russia, USA, UK, Germany, France , China and many other East Asian nations.

A large group of Indian businessmen from several Indian trade organizations in attendance at the Expo 2012 have expressed their intentions to enhance the trade and economic relations between the two countries to a new level with the trade reaching a peak of almost US Business delegates from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who met the Trade and Commerce Minister at the event have said that Expo 2012 is a viable platform for the UAE to identify the export product portfolio of Sri Lanka and they were surprised to by Sri Lanka's vast export portfolio.$ 5 billion in 2011.

SLTPB plans to organize many other events of this nature in future, with the target of achieving the number of 950,000 tourists arrivals by the end of 2012.