'Signature Tour' of Sri Lanka with U.S delegates a success

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'Signature Tour' of Sri Lanka with U.S delegates a success
Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya concluded a highly successful 2010 inaugural Ambassadors' Signature Tour of Sri Lanka with 25 American professionals and business people recently.
The tour finished with high tea and a press conference at the renowned Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, capping a 10-day adventure that included beach-side resorts, wild animal parks, a ramble through the lush, high-country tea plantations and visits to historical heritage sites.
The tour, which was arranged by the Sri Lanka Embassy of Washington, D.C., began on 9 August, 2010 and ran through the 28th August 2010.
Ambassador Wickramasuriya said that the American travelers would return to the U.S. with a new understanding of Sri Lanka. "They will be like tourism ambassadors volunteering for Sri Lanka," Ambassador Wickramasuriya said. "Each one of them has many friends and professional colleagues -- including travel writers -- back in the U.S. They will tell them about the trip and expand the size of our next Signature Tour."
Ambassador Wickramasuriya said the tour series was developed on the initiative of the Hon. Minister of Economic development, Basil Rajapaksa whose objective was to promote tourism through respective foreign embassies and missions.
The Ambassador also noted the work of Mr. Sanjaya Hettihewa, president of the International Club in Washington, D.C. and a Sri Lanka native, for his contribution to the tour. The Travel Club has over 40,000 members and works closely with foreign embassies to conduct programs and stage events in their countries.
"What they really saw is how safe it is to travel," said Mr. Hettihewa of his tour group. "We covered more of Sri Lanka in 10 days than I saw in the 14 years that I lived in Sri Lanka."
In addition, the press briefing included remarks by the chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa.
The tour itself drew rave reviews from participants, most of whom are professionals and business people and members of the International Club.
Mr. William Bowling, a Hollywood film location specialist and former executive at Warner Brothers Studios, said that Sri Lanka was one of the best of the 88 countries he has visited. (Mr. Bowling made a special visit to the Ran mini thenna film village in Hambantota and said that he was impressed by the complex).
Another traveler, Christopher Wang, a U.S. Department of Justice attorney, said that the trip was beyond his "highest expectations." "The biggest thing I'll remember about Sri Lanka is how the people are wonderfully friendly," Wang said. "Complete strangers, both children and adults, just waved at us from the road sides and were more than happy to talk to us."
Mrs. Belinda Shandra said that she was impressed by the attention to detail and the way in which the tour was organized by the Ambassador and his team.
"It has been the most remarkable experience of my life," Shandra said. "The country is beautiful and the people are so warm and friendly and the nice thing is that every day was a surprise."
Matthew Schmidt, said that, "We have had a fantastic time seeing the national parks and climbing Sigiriya rock. It was an amazing experience and I will never forget it. Everyone here on this journey has had the trip of a lifetime."
Ambassador Wickramasuriya noted that the trip was the first in a series of "Signature Tours" established by the embassy. "Anybody who is talking negatively about Sri Lanka is invited to come to Sri Lanka," he said. "As soon as they come here and travel all around the country, it's a different story."
The inaugural tour included visits to UNESCO World Heritage sites and the Kandy Perahara Buddhist festival. It commenced with a City tour of Colombo and then covered some of the world heritage sites in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the ancient city of Sigiriya the Cave Temple of Dambulla the old town of Galle and its fortifications and the sacred city of Kandy.
The travelers also visited the Yala National Park which is the second largest and most visited national park in Sri Lanka, Minneriya National Park where they witnessed the elephant gathering. The tour also included a visit to the Pinnawela elephant orphanage which has the greatest herd of elephants in captivity in the world.
Courtesy : Embassy of Sri Lanka - Washington DC