We do not have the aid of the genie of the magic lamp or the genie of the magic ring. We cannot rub the ring or the lamp and ask a genie to promote tourism in Sri Lanka and bring in Dollars to make our country rich. But we do have a team with passion and boldness on our side. We have an island filled with wonderful destinations and we have some of the best vacation spots in the world. We have wildlife, the beach and breathtaking scenery. We just need to make the world aware of the possibilities Sri Lanka has to offer. We need to tell the world that a trip to our island will be full of excitement and adventure, a land full of wonders. State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage leads an energetic and motivated team that is all set to successfully conduct Miss World Tourism 2023 in Sri Lanka.
This beauty pageant is the result of hard work and meticulous organisation. The 40 contestants will be taken around Sri Lanka which will result in Sri Lanka being promoted in these 40 countries. Each of these contestants have a fan base (Instagram and Facebook etc.) Through that fan base millions of other people will be made aware of Sri Lanka. We know that amongst these countries represented by these beauty queens, there are a number of countries who have never come to Sri Lanka. Through this pageant so many people will be made aware of how fabulous Sri Lanka is. This will bring in droves of tourists from those countries. And that means we will receive foreign exchange.
The team includes Director Promotion Upendrika Gunawardhana, Assistant Director and Choreographer Nilu Senanayake, Managing Director Miss World Tourism Eranja Weerasinghe, Private Secretary to State Tourism Ministry, Dr. Arosha Fernando, State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage, Founder Radika Gunawardhana, International Directress Dr. Sahida Hettiarachchi, Director and Chief Choreographer Arjuna Senanayake, Consultant Director and Advisor to the Board Sujith. P. Amarasekera and Miss Sri Lanka Thushari Kulathunga. The Daily News attended the Press Conference held to formally announce the Miss Tourism World 2023.
At the press conference we were told that this is Sri Lanka’s own beauty pageant, founded and directed by Radika Gunawardhana. This pageant is owned by Sri Lanka. There will be participation from 40 countries and these beautiful ladies will be taken to some of the best destinations in Sri Lanka including Pinnawala, Yala and a visit to the Temple of the Tooth Relic. They will also stay in some of the best hotels the country has to offer, where they will be shown great hospitality. The schedule/itinerary is full of activities that include many competition rounds (crowning of the Fairway Queen, talent round, bikini show, miss photogenic etc.). There will also be Ayurvedic treatments providing a wellness experience for the ladies. Then there will be rehearsals for the grand finale plus the personality catwalk. Citrus Waskaduwa will host the much anticipated grand finale where the Miss World Tourism 2023 will be crowned. They will also take part in the grand opening LPL (Lanka Premier League). On day 12 they will say goodbye to Sri Lanka.
State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage, said that this event is not only exciting and glamorous but an absolute necessity for Sri Lanka and for tourism in Sri Lanka. When approached with this proposal she did not hesitate to come on board.
“It is an honour to be here with all of you. This is the kind of event that Sri Lanka really needs when it comes to the tourism industry. This is an international event and it is being done for the first time in Sri Lanka. So it is a ‘first’ for Sri Lanka. This gives us the green light to go ahead with other international pageants, because there are lots of international pageants out there in the world. And unfortunately for Sri Lanka, we have never been able to work on a path to get into this international industry. Right now I am pleased and also proud that I have given the green light and I have given them all the support that they need from the Tourism Ministry. We must make this an event that Sri Lanka will always remember. It will go down in history one day in Sri Lanka. I am very humbly proud that I took that initiative to give them the support that they need with this,” said State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage.
State Minister Diana Gamage pointed out that in 2019, with the Easter Bombings the tourism industry in Sri Lanka experienced a setback. There was a collapse. “After the horrific Easter bombings we had to face COVID-19 for another two years. This too was a major setback when it came to tourism. During that time tourists did not come. In 2020 tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka fell to around 190,000. In 2021, it was even less. However at the end of 2022, at the end of COVID-19, after restrictions were removed we recorded 800,000 tourist arrivals. In 2022, we earned 800 million Dollars from tourism. Sri Lanka is a great tourist destination. That is undeniable. We must go from strength to strength. Our target needs to be 2 million tourists each year. If you take the year 2018, there were 1.9 million tourist arrivals. We earned 4.7 billion Dollars. So, our target must be bringing in 5 – 6 billion Dollars next year. With the fall in the tourism industry, so many businesses that were dependent on the tourism industry also collapsed. We must revive these businesses. We must be committed to reviving tourism in Sri Lanka. So with projects like Miss World Tourism 2023 we need to go forward. As I said before we need to go from strength to strength. That is my fervent hope and belief. My next biggest goal is also an international one, an award ceremony. That is this coming December. That is the World Travel Awards. I want to bring in 100 countries to Sri Lanka. It has already been confirmed. The President is giving his fullest support. I would like to thank the media for giving their support for this project. I cannot do it alone. We cannot complete this journey without the media. I am determined to carry out my plans. This is our country, and it belongs to all of us!,” explained State Minister Gamage.
This beauty pageant will definitely go viral on social media. This will create waves internationally. The eyes of the world will be on Sri Lanka.
“I must say that this is an important event that is about to unfold today in the pageant history of Sri Lanka. This is indeed a unique event taking place for the first time in the Sri Lankan pageant industry. I would like to extend my gratitude to State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage who is supporting us. I also deeply appreciate every member of this team for showing relentless effort for this project. This is certainly an amazing journey and I must say that we are all excited and proud to be a part of this glamorous event,” said Founder of Miss World Tourism 2023, Radika Gunawardhana.
Director and Chief Choreographer Arjuna Senanayake, has around 25 years of experience in pageants. He has done choreography for many world pageants.
“From the pageants I have done so far, none of them belong to Sri Lanka. That is something I wish to make clear. What we do is we pay dollars and bring the event to Sri Lanka. What happens is that our money goes to other countries and money does not come into Sri Lanka. The reason we joined this project is because it appealed to us. This is the first time a pageant like this is taking place in Sri Lanka. Some people are against this and I do not know why. When we create something of our own, there is very little support. What we have here is a very courageous team. We are bringing in foreign exchange into Sri Lanka. The contestants have spoken to us and they have understood the situation in Sri Lanka and have bought their own air tickets. We will welcome them into Sri Lanka and treat them well. So with the support of State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage we are forging ahead and expect other parties to come on board with us and support us. I believe that in two years’ time, this event of ours will become the world’s best. So we need to show the world this. So, we invite people to support us. Let us popularize our brand,” said Senanayake.
The team will be taking the contestants to various regions in Sri Lanka, promoting tourism in those regions. Also a video will be created and given to these contestants. This video will contain the places that they could not go to. That will promote tourism even further. The team will be looking at 75- 80 countries next time. This will really transform tourism in Sri Lanka. We need to keep in mind that Sri Lanka is an island that gives you the opportunity to visit all kinds of natural environments in a matter of hours. This tour will cover everything. The contestants will be treated like royalty. But there will be no prize money. They will buy their own tickets and they will be given the best time of their lives in Sri Lanka. Even though they will not receive prize money the experience they will get in Sri Lanka will surpass any prize money. We cannot afford to send our money out of this country. We are supposed to bring money into the country and not take it out. These beauty queens are coming to help. They will do a great job coming here with their own money. We are providing food, accommodation and travel. We must welcome these people with open arms!
Ishara Jayawardane
