Lanka showcases cultural heritage at UNESCO headquarters

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in France and the Permanent Delegation of Sri Lanka to UNESCO, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourist Board and SriLankan Airlines, organized "Serendipity – an Evening of Sri Lankan Dance and Rhythm", a Sri Lankan cultural show featuring the Channa – Upuli Performing Arts Foundation on September 11, 2007 at the UNESCO headquarters in France.
The main purpose of the event was twofold: To showcase Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage at UNESCO in the context of Sri Lanka’s candidature to the 58-member UNESCO Executive Board, the elections to which are due to be held during the 34th session of the General Conference of UNESCO in October, and to re-launch a tourism campaign in France following the revised travel advisory.
Minister of Education Susil Premajayanth is currently Sri Lanka’s representative of the Board and the current four-year term will be expiring in October. Sri Lanka became a member of UNESCO in November, 1949, even before becoming a member of the United Nations in 1955. Since then Sri Lanka has served on the Executive Board only for a total period of 14 years.
Sri Lanka is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage sites. The World Heritage Centre of UNESCO has also included the Seruvila Mangala Rajamaha Viharaya and the cluster site of the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles Range in its tentative list to be considered for inclusion on the World Heritage List.
The 20-member Channa- Upuli Performing Arts Foundation entertained a packed audience, including members of the diplomatic corps, UNESCO officials, French travel and tour operators to Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan community in France as well as friends of Sri Lanka in France.
The event was preceded by a workshop/seminar titled "Re-launching Sri Lanka Tourism in France", at the same venue and attended by tourism professionals and the media. A special workshop on "Women and Tourism" was held with the participation of eminent businesswomen in the field of tourism. Assistant Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization, Geoffrey Lipman participated in the event. World Tourism Day is to be held in Sri Lanka on September 27.
Minister of Tourism Milinda Moragoda was the chief guest at all three events. The Ambassador of Sri Lanka in France Chitranganee Wagiswara, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board Renton de Alwis, Additional Director General of the SLTB Dileep Mudadeniaya, Director of the Sri Lanka Tourist Office in France Ruvan de Alwis and Director of SriLankan Airlines in France, Danny Schepers were the main speakers at the events.