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SL’s first FIFA Fan Zone in Negombo to woo World Cup tourists

04 Nov 2022

  • Harin says promotes positive national image, convenience, cost-effectiveness  
  • Russia’s Azur Air commences weekly flights, Air France to follow suit today 
 BY Kiara Warnasuriya For the first time ever in Sri Lanka, a Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Fan Zone 2022, endorsed by the FIFA management, was launched in Negombo two days ago, to enable tourists from all over the world to witness the FIFA World Cup being held in Qatar, streamed live on the beach, along with entertainment, food, and drinks. “We are confident that this initiative will draw tourists to Sri Lanka. The magnitude of the cricket fan base does not even come close to the same for football,” observed Minister of Tourism and Lands Harin Fernando at the launch ceremony held on Tuesday (1).  Fernando also said that the fan zone was an initiative taken to promote a more positive image of Sri Lanka in the international arena as opposed to the negative image of the country that was recently portrayed on international news.  “When tourists see footage of people breaking into properties and causing violence, how can we expect them to visit Sri Lanka? With this fan zone, we intend to show them the actual vibe Sri Lanka is giving out right now,” said Fernando alluding to the final stages of the “aragalaya”, which saw protestors breaking into the President’s House and other State buildings. He further stated that the location of the fan zone will be of major convenience to tourists, considering the fact that it is a 20-minute drive from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake, noting that watching the game from Sri Lanka is much more cost-effective than doing the same in a country like the UAE, where the cost would be much higher. The Ministry of Tourism had also declared that Russia’s largest charter airline, Azur Air, had scheduled weekly flights to Sri Lanka starting yesterday (3), while adding that Air France will also be scheduling flights to Sri Lanka starting today (4). The FIFA Fan Zone launch held two days ago was also attended by Sri Lanka Convention Bureau Chairman Thisum Jayasuriya who, while addressing the gathering, stated that the fan zone is to be set up at Lewis Lane, Negombo, and that all hotels and restaurants surrounding the area will follow a football-related theme in terms of decorations and atmosphere. The zone will be available to tourists from 1 to 18 December with a variety of entertainment including live bands performing on weekdays along with disc jockey music, dance acts, magic shows, and food stalls, while livestreaming the football World Cup. Jayasuriya revealed that this fan zone will be targeting tourists from Qatar and Gulf Co-operation Council countries, South America, Europe, India, and Russia. He further observed that the low fares at which the packages are being sold are sure to attract tourists to watch the World Cup from Negombo.  “A majority of football fans are not elite, rich people. These people are in the millions. It is the ideal opportunity for Sri Lanka to maximise this.”  Jayasuriya also stated that the packages start from $ 650 for three nights and four days including breakfast at three-star-and-above hotels.  The booking packages are handled by the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators, the Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, and the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka, who will be promoting this event through their overseas agents. The partners of this event include Qatar Airways, flydubai, and SriLankan Airlines, who will be promoting packages via their holiday arms. The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau will also be working with the Sri Lankan Consulate in Qatar to promote the same with their agents. Jayasuriya noted that they intend to show the international arena that Sri Lanka is now open and ready to accommodate tourists.  “We must maximise this opportunity and take this industry to the next level,” he said. Qatar, a country about twice the size of the Central Province of Sri Lanka, expects to welcome more than 1.2 million visitors, a little less than half of their population, for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. This, as seen by the FIFA Fan Zone initiative, is the perfect opportunity to capitalise on the shortage of accommodation that Qatar is due to face, while also considering the fact that Negombo is situated close to the Katunayake Airport, making travel easy and convenient for tourists.


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