The ‘Miss World Tourism 2023’ pageant is currently underway, with mini pageants having started their run on 20 July, leading up to its grand finale today (30). With contestants from 28 different countries, the pageant is organised in a bid to promote Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and in the hopes that the hosting of this pageant will provide a welcome and much-needed boost to the local tourism industry.
According to Miss World Tourism Director Radhika Gunasekara, the pageant is set up in a manner which ensures that the programme will focus not only on fashion, talent, and beauty but also on the promotion of Sri Lanka’s tourist attractions, culture, and heritage.
The Sunday Morning Brunch also learnt that Gunasekara’s team had faced numerous challenges in the process of bringing the project to fruition. Noting that it had been difficult to carry out such a mammoth task by herself, Gunasekara also shared that State support for an initiative such as this had been largely lacking, adding that it had been incredibly disappointing not to receive active support from the country’s tourism authorities for a project of this nature.
She also noted that it was precarious to host such a number of international participants without the support of the State sector, especially considering the power of social media and how word of mouth could be damning if these contestants found their experience in Sri Lanka to be less than ideal.
She however added that she was taking great care to ensure that the pageant continued and to provide the women who had travelled to Sri Lanka on behalf of Miss World Tourism a wonderful experience.
A challenge
The pageant industry is a growing industry in Sri Lanka, with more recent efforts seen in the ‘Queen of the World Pageant’ that is ongoing, courtesy of Nadeeka Senevirathna and several others over the years.
It is evidently a challenging undertaking to organise a beauty pageant, especially one that involves international contestants. While Gunasekara shared that her experience was somewhat unique compared to other organisers who put together local pageants, it can be assumed that many of the mechanics for a beauty pageant are largely similar and equally daunting.
Speaking about the challenges that emerge when organising a beauty pageant, Queen of the World Pageant Official Choreographer Rukmal Senanayake shared: “The organising stage is incredibly challenging, because at first you are almost going in blind. At least that is what it feels like, because despite your years of experience, every time you put one of these things together, there are new obstacles waiting to pop up. No one is ever fully prepared to handle these things entirely,” he said, adding: “Often, we start a project based on its potential. If we are able to sufficiently communicate its potential to the world and the prospective funders, that is when we can see our vision finally come to life. However, until then, there are a lot of things up in the air.”
Senanayake also noted that they had come to not expect too much from the State sector, adding that these pageants, despite almost always being passion projects, were perceived as profit-making entities and therefore the State tended to be reluctant to extend support, while the private sector was where the support lay.
Cosmetologist and entrepreneur Chandimal Jayasinghe too shared that there were many intricacies when organising a pageant and that it was rarely as simple as getting sponsors in line and putting together the contestants. He noted that he continued to engage with the industry simply because he cared for the talent in the country and believed that they deserved a platform.
It can be worth it
Former Director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) President M. Shanthikumar noted that the pageant industry was easily a great means to boost Sri Lanka’s tourism.
“I really do believe that these beauty pageants are a great way to boost the local tourism industry, get Sri Lanka’s name trending abroad, and additionally provide great support for local communities,” he said.
He added: “Prior to Covid and the many setbacks our island has experienced over the past few years, beauty pageants and other industry events were carried out to great success. Now that things are largely back to normal, we can expect those trends to pick back up.”
With regard to State support, Shanthikumar noted: “If it is a commercial undertaking, then the private sector is more likely to take on the challenge as an opportunity to market its potential. With regard to the State sector, especially the SLTDA, Tourism Promotion Bureau, etc., they can certainly endorse these events and lend support in that manner.”
The sheer volume of moving parts that need to be managed when bringing together a beauty pageant can prove to be incredibly daunting. Despite these obvious challenges, many Sri Lankans have opted to take a chance and embark on passion projects that have enabled numerous opportunities for local communities while also placing Sri Lanka on the map and boosting its status as the ultimate tourist destination.