“The event will be a milestone in terms of bringing in investment as well as tourists from Sri Lanka,” Madhab Om Shrestha, executive director of HAN, said before leaving for Colombo on Friday.[break]
Although around 60,000 Sri Lankan tourists visited Nepal in 2011, most of them entered the country via surface route from India. Only around 2,000 Sri Lankan tourists entered the country via air during the year.
The 55-member delegation led by HAN President Shyam Sundarlal Kakshpati comprises of officiating CEO of Nepal Tourism Board Subash Nirola, tourism entrepreneurs, diplomats, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Nepal Thospala Hewage and Mukunda Paudel from Investment Board.
Shrestha said the event will feature press conference, Business to Business meeting with Sri Lanka tourism entrepreneurs and programs to promote tourism and investment in Nepal. HAN is also holding its half-yearly general meeting in Sri Lanka.
According to a HAN statement, Speaker of Sri Lankan parliament Chamal Jayantha Raspaksha is scheduled to inaugurate the event.
Ambassador Hewage, Nepali Ambassador to Sri Lanka Sushil Chandra Amatya, chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authoirty Dr Nalaka Godahewa, and HAN president Kakshpati are addressing the inaugural event, according to the statement.
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