The worlds leading leading travel trade show- ITB which is staged annually in Berlin where the leading 180 countries in the business of tourism meet to discuss key trends whilst contracting the top deals for a country will be represented by The Minister for Tourism and Sports Navin Dissanayake, Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau Dr. Rohantha Athukorala and the chairman of the development authority  Paddy Witarana after a lapse of almost 10 years.

One industry stalwart commented ' It is strange but the previous regime whilst alienating the private sector who accounted for almost ninety nine percent of the tourism industry of the country in the decision making process also worked in isolation of the global community for almost a decade". We see the new development of the Tourism Hierarchy very positively. Now it is about fast decision making that is required given the entrenched competition he quipped. 

On the 5th of March at the main press room Sri Lanka will stage a press conference to the global community of journalists where minister Dissanayake will lead the delegation on the theme      " Positive Transformation and the new vision of the Sri Lanka government"  together with the Ambassordor for Germany Karunathilake Amunugama. We which will also highlight the emphasis the need for sustainable tourism globally said The dynamic minister Dissanayake . The chairman Sri Lanka tourism promotion will continue on the theme highlighting the positive developments of brand Sri Lanka on Apparel, ceylon tea, ceylon cinnamon and ceylon sapphire and then zero down on  Sri Lanka as a Tourism Destination on the proposition " one island, thousand treasures". This was a positioning that has been consumer tested globally and received strong reactions to differentiate  Sri Lanka from its competitors. He will be supported by the trade partners SLITO President Mahen Kariyawasam, city hoteliers president shanthikumar and ASMET head Sam Tegel.

The Chairman Sri Lanka development authority Paddy Witharana will show case Sri Lanka's investment opportunities in the tourism sector and the many developments at play which gives a glimpse of the potential for the booming Tourism industry of Sri Lanka in the years to come that has been dogged by a tough January 2015 due the elections visitor numbers just registering a 7% growth and the escalating costs that make hotel properties just breaking even. 

The total Sri Lanka delegation include 53 top travel and hotel entities which makes it the highest delegation from Sri Lanka in the multitude of travel and trade fairs that Sri Lanka will take part in 2015 with the aggressive drive that the country has seen by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions beurue in the last one month. This included the endorsement of Miss World 2015 Rolene Strauss on the " one million trees stories initiative" which Sri Lanka tourism partnered Rotary which was aimed at arresting the declining forest cover of the country in the last two decades from 53% to 29% said Dr Athukorala.