The historic Mount Lavinia Hotel is all geared up to host the third consecutive Slow Food event for the year 2024 by spotlighting the Swedish culinary delicacies with the native Chef- Mats Petersson on 22^nd of March 2024 at the Horizon Rooftop – Tickets are priced at Rs. 8,000 Nett per person.Chef Mats will be the master chef behind the magical ambience that will be created for guests who will be joining to indulge in the authentic Swedish flavours from different regions of Sweden

The family style dinner will comprise Swedish Meatballs, Kalops (Swedish Beef Stew), Barramundi, Kroppkaka Dumplings and many more savoury dishes with desserts such as Prinsesstårta and Apple Crust adding to the flavours of Swedish cuisine. All dishes will be curated out of fresh, locally sourced ingredients while still maintaining the authentic flavoursthat cater to the exclusive patrons who support the Slow Food concept and are fond of Swedish cuisine.

The concept of Slow Food has always been highly valued at Mount Lavinia Hotel – considering MLH’s commitment to sustainability and supporting local growers, fishers, and producers. In the words of Anura Dewapura (Chief Operating Officer of MLHG) “Slow Food is not just about savouring a meal; it’s a movement that celebrates local traditions, sustainability, and the pleasure of sharing a good, hearty meal that’s prepared with locally grown, fresh ingredients. Our commitment to sustainability extends beyond hosting Slow Food events. Slow Food Sweden is a part of MLH’s ongoing sustainability project. In January, we launched the country’s first ever Vegan Market; MLH Plant-Earth Market – coinciding the Poya Vegan Lunch Buffet and Vegan High Tea.”

The forthcoming Slow Food Sweden event at Mount Lavinia Hotel promises to be a remarkable experience for all attendees with the expertise skills and passion of Chef Mats Petersson. Guests will be privileged to taste the rich flavours and traditional dishes of Sweden. This occasion will not only celebrate the culinary excellence and the cultural exchange between the two nations but it will also highlight the concept of the Slow Food movement by educating guests on the intricacies of Swedish cuisine. Don’t miss the chance to embark on this gastronomic adventure and indulge in the finest Swedish cuisine at the Horizon Rooftop of Mount Lavinia Hotel on 22^nd March 2024. Tickets are priced at Rs. 8,000 Nett per person including cocktails and wine.

BY NELUM BUDDHADASA

Founded in 2017, Mackly, the premier sleep and loungewear brand that caters to both kids and moms, is synonymous with passion, vision, and dedication. It has quickly become a powerhouse in the industry, opening its flagship retail store at the One Galle Face Mall in 2021.

Sharmila Srikumar, the founder, is a visionary entrepreneur and devoted mother of three daughters. Mackly originated from Sharmila’s personal quest for the perfect pajamas for her children. Baby Clan, a sub-brand at Mackly, offers newborn essentials extending up to the age of two. Renowned for its 100% breathable cotton material, Mackly Sleepwear undergoes meticulous testing for safety, comfort, and style.  Srikumar emphasizes, “We run world-class quality checks on our products related to wearability factors and root out the presence of harmful chemicals such as phthalates.”

Mackly was initially conceived as a mother and child sleepwear brand, but due to overwhelming consumer demand, the brand evolved to include exciting new collections for teens, women, and men.

Today, Mackly and SEDA stand as a testament to Sharmila’s creative focus, entrepreneurial spirit, and unwavering commitment to quality.

Sharmila has expanded her brand portfolio with the introduction of SEDA, targeting both teens and adults. This expansion includes new categories such as SEADA Teens, SEDA Innerwear, and SEDA Black Active.

SEDA’s expansion includes a stylish collection targeting teenagers, featuring trendy graphic t-shirts and versatile unisex sets designed to resonate with the fashion preferences and dynamic lifestyles of young adults. Additionally, SEDA introduces a luxurious wedding collection, epitomizing elegance with satin and lace, offering premium options for brides on their special day.

In response to today’s active lifestyles, SEDA unveils SEDA Black Active, showcasing high-performance activewear with sleek designs and advanced fabric technology for optimal comfort and performance during workouts and outdoor activities. Meanwhile, Mackly has  introduced Kids Active, an environmentally conscious line of activewear for children, featuring vibrant sports bras, colorful prints, and essential silhouettes

The ITB Berlin Convention, the world’s leading travel industry think tank, recently concluded its 2024 event, where over the course of three days, top international Travel and Tourism industry thought leaders gathered to discuss the latest trends, innovations, and developments, and to debate the major challenges facing the global travel industry.

In a significant moment for Sri Lanka Tourism, the new Island destination positioning ‘You’ll Come Back for More’ was unveiled at the convention, along with the new logo and global tourism campaign.

This pivotal event took place under the auspices of the Honourable Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando, with the participation of key industry leaders. The unveiling served as a platform to showcase the unique attributes of Sri Lanka at a global stage, highlighting the country’s unparalleled diversity. 

Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando speaking at the event said, “Sri Lanka Tourism is launching its destination brand campaign globally with a new positioning and a tagline:  ‘You’ll come back for more’. What inspired us was the simple fact that 33% of our travellers are repeat visitors. We have people from across the world returning to Sri Lanka, some as many as 100 to 150 times. When you listen to their stories and experiences in our island, you will realise that there is something special about Sri Lanka. It’s not just a bucket list country. There is a deep bond Sri Lanka creates with our visitors and as a result they keep coming back for the people, the places, and moments. We want to share this unique story of our Island with the world. Under the new destination positioning, we have a 360-degree approach to tell our story. But while we communicate all that we have to offer the world, we will also ensure the quality of the experiences each traveller has with us is also rich.”

The Minister highlighted that Sri Lanka Tourism aims to attract 2.3 million tourists in 2024 and earn over USD 4 billion. The long-term target is even more ambitious, with plans to welcome 5 million arrivals and generate USD 21.6 billion in revenue by 2030. The country is taking a holistic approach to its Global Marketing and Promotion campaigns, in addition to product development. This strategy aims to position the island as a destination that travellers could visit all year round.

The Minister concluded his address by stating that “Sri Lanka’s tourism bounced back after many challenges in the few past years, and it is nothing short of a miracle how it happened. But Sri Lankans are a very resilient people, and we enjoy being hosts to visitors. So naturally tourism recovered fast, and we are seeing a record number of visitors to the island today as a result.”       

Sri Lanka Tourism was represented by 68 exhibitors at the 2024 edition of the convention, demonstrating commitment by the industry to aggressively promote the country as a premier tourist destination.

Chalaka Gajabahu, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism and Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), reflecting on the significance of the event said, “Given that Germany has historically been one of the key source markets for Sri Lankan tourism, and considering the encouraging growth we witnessed in 2023 from Germany, our presence at this trade exhibition was crucial. It provided an opportunity for the Sri Lanka Tourism brand to showcase our unique destination and leverage the international visibility the event offered to our tourism industry”.

The ITB Berlin Convention attracted significant media attention, drawing around 3,000 journalists from 73 countries and 333 bloggers from 32 countries, with media visibility estimated to reach over 5 billion people worldwide.

Capitalising on the large number of journalists and bloggers attending the event, a sucessful media conference was hosted by the Sri Lanka Tourism contingent at the Convention.

Speaking at the media event, Minister of TourismHarin Fernando, shared his vision for the future. Ambassador of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Berlin, Varuni Muthukumaranameanwhile highlighted the strengthening of ties between Sri Lanka and Germany, and the potential for increased tourism. Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chalaka Gajabahufurther outlined the strategic plans for promoting Sri Lanka as a premier tourist destination.

In the first few months of 2024 the Island saw unprecedented growth in arrivals. February recorded a total of 218,350 tourist arrivals, marking the third consecutive month with over 200,000 arrivals. This is the highest number of tourist arrivals reported since January 2020, prior to the pandemic

Image Captions:

Hon. Harin Fernando, Minister of Tourism(centre), HE Ms. Varuni Muthukumarana, Ambassador of Sri Lanka Embassy, Berlin (3^rd Left), Mr. Chalaka Gajabah, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB)(3^rd Right) and other dignitaries at the Sri Lanka Tourism media conference at ITB Berlin 2024

Socomec, a century-old French multinational and a global pioneer in low-voltage power management systems announces a significant expansion of its operations in Sri Lanka as part of its broader strategy for Greater India. With a commitment to tripling its presence in Sri Lanka over the next three years, the company has appointed Suhard Amit as General Manager. Amit, a seasoned professional with over 25 years of diverse industry experience, will be based in Sri Lanka and tasked with overseeing operations for the markets in Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. 
Socomec’s dedication to providing cutting-edge power conversion solutions, alongside power switching and monitoring devices for critical applications, underscores its mission to exceed industry standards while prioritizing customer satisfaction. Through innovative French-inspired production methods and a customer-centric approach, Socomec ensures its solutions meet the ever-growing energy-related demands of its clients and markets.
The CEO of Socomec’s Asia-Pacific region, O’Niel Dissanayake, expressed his excitement for the strategic expansion by saying, “Our overarching goal is to drive sustainable growth across all markets through innovation. Sri Lanka, amidst its energy transition and digital transformation, holds immense potential for us. Despite Socomec’s long-standing presence in the country through partners for nearly three decades, we view this moment as opportune to fortify our support network for our valued partners and clients. Leveraging our global manufacturing footprint, we remain committed to delivering European-origin products and solutions to Sri Lanka through our Asia-Pacific and India organizations”

“Currently, we have projects in Sri Lanka and we are focusing more on new projects such as Data centers, Industry, Healthcare, Railways, Renewable energies, Aviation, and Ports,” he said.  

 Meenu Singhal, Regional Managing Director of Socomec Greater India, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to meeting the evolving energy demands of the Sri Lankan market.

“We are dedicated to strengthening our relationships and providing companies with reliable, efficient power solutions to further establish Socomec as a respected leader in Sri Lanka,” stated Singhal. “Our technical experts, supply chain, and service teams are now aligned from Asia Pacific and India to better serve our customer requirements, significantly improving our connectivity and response time to the market.”“We are planning to triple our presence in Sri Lanka over the next three years,” he said. “We have expanded to over 80 countries and we have invested 8 percent of our turnover in R&D,” he said.      

   “It is truly a privilege to have the opportunity to join Socomec, where the product is highly renowned for its quality and performance in the industry as a specialist for critical power solutions,” said Suhard Amit, General Manager for Emerging Markets, expressing his excitement at spearheading the company’s expansion activities. He further added, “We’re in a strong position to offer our clients cutting-edge solutions and top-notch services. Our distribution partners will continue to be our gateways to the market, supported by closer collaboration to expand our reach in both applications and market segments.”

The company established in 1922, Socomec is a globally renowned specialist in Low Voltage (LV) Power Switching, Monitoring, and Power Conversion products, dedicated to managing power and safeguarding people, equipment, and installations. With 24/7 Expert Services, Socomec ensures the reliability and optimization of end-user equipment, now available in Sri Lanka with a focus on local presence.  
With a workforce of 4200 employees, 12 production sites, and over 30 subsidiaries spanning five continents, Socomec Group is a key player in the industry. Headquartered in Chennai, Socomec Greater India boasts branch offices across 12 locations in India and a cutting-edge manufacturing facility situated in Gurugram, Haryana, supported by a 170+ business partner network.
Leveraging over a century of expertise, the Group is committed to constant innovation, enhancing energy performance across various sectors such as Data Centers, Healthcare, Infrastructure, and industrial and commercial sites. As a recognized expert, Socomec delivers state-of-the-art solutions, ensuring the highest availability of electrical power supply tailored to customer needs and fully compliant with international standards, consistently upholding excellence in power management.

The grand 11″ edition of Sancharaka Udawa, Sri Lanka’s foremost and premier Travel & Tourism Fair, is scheduled to take place on May 17h & 18h, 2024. A press briefing held at the Emerald Ballroom, Sheraton Colombo saw the presence of esteemed travel and tourism officials alongside industry luminaries.

Sancharaka Udawa, organized by the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) as the main event partner, was officially announced by Mr. Nishad Wijetunga, President of SLAITO and Mr. Charith De Alwis, Hon. Secretary, SLAITO and Chairman, Sancharaka Udawa 2024 Organizing Committee, under the patronage of Mr. Chalaka Gajabahu, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

This premier exhibition offers an exclusive platform for both B2B and B2C sectors, which will

foster engagement between industry stakeholders and pertinent Government bodies and also anticipates over 250 exhibitors, while expecting a footfall exceeding 10,000 visitors. The event will accommodate businesses of all sizes within the tourism sector, with this year’s edition extending to outbound tourism stakeholders such as travel agents and airlines. The exhibition will conclude with a celebratory gathering, offering networking opportunities for both newcomers and veterans in the industry, alongside an award ceremony honoring the Best Stall Creations.

The primary aim of the exhibition is to establish a networking platform for small and medium-sized service providers within the industry, facilitating connections with tour operators and facilitating their integration into the broader tourism landscape. The anticipated outcome includes a significant surge in bookings for regional small-scale tourism service providers.

Exhibitors stand to gain numerous benefits, including enhanced brand visibility across Sri Lanka’s tourism marketing platforms, reaffirming Sri Lanka Tourism’s commitment to industry capacity building and infrastructure enhancement. In order to foster stronger ties between industry players and government entities, the tourism-related Government departments such as the Department of Wildlife Conservation and Tourist Police will be provided complimentary stalls.

Additionally, several universities, including Colombo,Uva Wellassa, Kelaniya, Sabaragamuwa, and Rajarata, will be offered free stalls to encourage student interaction with industry professionals. Last year’s Sancharaka Udawa 2023 saw sponsorships from esteemed companies such as Aitken Spence Travels, Classic Sri Lanka, Walkers Tours, Adhitya Ayurveda, and Araliya Resort and Spa.

A robust marketing campaign is underway to ensure the success of Sancharaka Udawa 2024, with event management entrusted to CDC Events & Aitken Spence Conventions & Exhibitions by SLAITO. The upcoming event will feature engaging sessions aimed at both trade visitors and thegeneral public, ensuring maximum value.

With the burgeoning significance of the tourism and hospitality sector, this year’s event is poised to attract even more sponsors, building on the momentum of previous years.

For further information and booth reservations, visit www.sancharakaudawa.com.

Scheduled from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm on May 17th & 18th, 2024, Sancharaka Udawa

BY NELUM BUDDHADASA