Life style
Sri Lanka Twins Organisation to take the lead in global destination
by Zanita Careem
The world’s first-ever beauty pageant for twins will be held in Sri Lanka this year, as part of the Global Twins Festival organised by Sri Lanka Twins Founders Upuli and Chamali Gamage. The organisers hope to attract 4,000 twin and non-twin participants. The event has got the approval of the Tourism Ministry and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.
Recently , a press conference was held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute to provide more information on the festival. The Islamic Republic of Iran Cultural Head Bahman Moazami was Chief Guest, while Tourism Ministry Secretary Chulananda Perera was Guest of Honour. Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu and other invitees were also present at the event.
Sri Lanka Twins Founder Upuli Gamage said 30 countries have confirmed their participation in the pageant. The final selection round for the local contestant for Miss and Mr. Twin will take place on May 28, the festival will be held under the theme “Green globe for pure breath” from 24-31 July. In addition to the pageant, there will be a cultural festival, a business forum, and a music festival.
The founder Upul Gamage said Sri Lanka Twins was founded in 1993, and is the first and only organisation for twins in Sri Lanka, Upuli and Chamali were made Vice Presidents of the Global Twins and Multiple Birth Forum.
Sri Lanka, having experienced a lull in tourism, was facing a setback. The economy was facing a setback, we need to to boost the image of Sri lanka in many ways than one,. This pageant will definetely put Sri Lanka on the international map said Gamage. He also said in addition to this, Sri Lanka doesn’t offer tourists many attractions like in other countries to boost the image of the country, India, for instance, attracts tourists annually for pilgrimages he pointed out.
Gamage felt that despite tourist destinations being promoted,there we dont promote enough for returning visitors. “We wanted to give tourists a reason to visit the country with so many events and attractions. This Global Twins Festival in Sri Lanka will attract many tourists and vistors .
Global Twins Festival
“Globally, there are many pageants, but this is the first time a twins’ beauty pageant is being held in the world, not just Sri Lanka,” Gamage said.
On July 25, the festival will begin with the Global Twins Cultural Festival at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium. The objectives of the segment are to promote co-existence between different cultures around the globe and appreciation of others, overcome ethnic barriers, and unite globally. According to Gamage, countries like India, Australia, and Nepal will showcase their cultural acts, bringing the traditions of Asia, Africa, and Europe onto one stage.
Twins pageant
On july 26 the Global Twins Pageant will take place at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre, and the organisers hope this event will help Sri Lanka to gain global recognition for initiating this concept as a world’s first, and will also attempt to break official world records. This is the highlight of the Global Twins Festival and is expected to steal the global spotlight of Sri Lanka
The Global Twins Pageant is the brainchild of Upai and Chamali . Many countries will paticipate in this event and more than hirty countries have confirmed their participation thus far This will ensure global coverage of the pageant, which would help promote Sri Lanka, even if our contestants aren’t crowned winners that night.
In terms of the local contestants, Gamage said the three Sri Lankan contestants will be chosen on 28 May. “Sri Lanka Twins has a membership of 28,000, and our members as well as non-members have been given the opportunity to apply since our press conference last week. We already have applicants, but have not yet begun the training process, which will commence on 22 February,” she said. Bellesza Models Director Shanith Fernando will be carrying out the training for the local contestants.Forums
The Global Twins Festival will also include two forums in Kandy – the Global Twins and Multiples Birth Forum on 27 July and the Global Twins Business Forum the following day.
Through the event on 27 July, the organisers hope to find the right solutions for educational, economic, social, sports, and health-related problems twins and multiples face across the globe, while with the business forum, they hope to build vital import and export relationships between participating and visiting countries in order to help make Sri Lanka an international hub for economic relations.
“We hope that within a three-year period, we will be able to hold the world’s biggest trade festival in Sri Lanka,” Gamage added.
Tourism and entertainment
Towards the end of the festival, participants will have the opportunity to visit various tourist destinations in the country; This includes Sri Pada, for instance, and Gamage shared that she feels tour agents tend to take tourists to places that are easy to travel to, like the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, despite foreigners liking hiking and more adventurous travel as well.
On the final day of the festival, 30 July, the Global Twins Music Festival will be held in Colombo. Twins from various countries will take the stage to showcase their talents at this event.
Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future
The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.
Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.
The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.
Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
Life style
He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka
Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.
Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.
In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.
His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.
by Zanita Careem
Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.
The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.
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From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds
were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka
These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel
Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera
The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding
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The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .
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