Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said his appointment as a Vice Presidential representative of Asia for the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was a recognition of Sri Lanka as an able tourist destination.
Minister Amaratunga made these remarks at a ceremony to felicitate him on his recent UNWTO appointment, which was held at the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM), amidst a large gathering, yesterday.
Tourism Secretary Esala Weerakoon, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Chairman Kavan Ratnayake, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Udaya Nanayakkara, SLITHM Chairman Sunil Dissanayake, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau Chairman Prema Cooray and other industry officials were present to felicitate the Minister.
The Minister received his appointment at the 22nd General Assembly session of the UNWTO held in China last week.
His speech stressed on Sri Lanka’s importance in the world tourism industry. He also stated that his term as the Vice President of UNWTO would allow him to enhance the image of Sri Lanka in the eyes of the international community as an emerging tourist destination.
“Many were looking forward to being appointed for the position of Vice President for the Asian region, but the outgoing General Secretary of the UNWTO, Taleb Rifai recommended me for this prestigious position,” he said. The Minister also said his appointment was a great honour for Sri Lanka. He also spoke on the proposals of the UNWTO and said those proposals would be of immense benefit for developing the tourism industry in Sri Lanka.
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