The Colombo International Shopping Festival (CISF), organized by the Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association (SLRA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, will take place during the month of October.
CISF will promote Sri Lanka as a ‘Shopping Hub’, attracting new segments of tourists and buyers for Sri Lanka’s products. It will provide world-class and internationally renowned original brands at competitive prices. The event will be held under theme ‘One Island; One Big Mall’.
Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Udaya Nanayakkara speaking at a press briefing yesterday held to announce the event, said that the concept of the International Shopping Festival in Sri Lanka was initiated at a request made by Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association and the execution of the project was estimated at Rs.50 million.
“The Government of Sri Lanka allocated funding in the National Budget 2017 to organize the Shopping Festival, based on representations made by SLRA. In making Sri Lanka a retail hub this would be one stepping-stone," he said.
This year’s event committee has decided to come up with an international promotional campaign to promote this event which will cover South Asia, at a cost Rs 45 million.
The Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs initiated the procument process with the assistance of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau in this regard.
The campaign consists of television and digital advertising campaigns to promote Sri Lanka as a ‘Shopping Hub’ in South Asia.
Both digital and television campaigns at home and abroad will be executed in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives.
Sri Lanka Promotional Bureau will join hands with the Sri Lanka’s Retailers’ Association in promoting this as an annual event similar to those in Dubai and Singapore from next year.
Sri Lanka’s Retailers’ Association Chairman Hussain Sadique speaking at the event, noted that Sri Lanka needs to take proactive measures to attract tourists by giving them a pleasant holiday experience. Confident of a forward tourism march, the Association will take the lead in promoting and attracting tourists, especially the growing young middle-class segment, in order to take the industry to the next level.
He also urged that Sri Lanka needs to focus on promoting category markets and expressed hope that the Sri Lanka would be able to create value and give foreign travelers a global experience over the next three years.
“The retail industry, one of the main pillars of local economy, will witness a higher growth due to the burgeoning tourism sector", Sadique said, adding that Colombo city will have about 1.5 million sq.ft. area of shopping space if the retail industry records more than 20% annual growth.
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