The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau (SLTPB) will celebrate World Tourism Day in Jaffna today, under the global theme ‘Tourism and the Digital Transformation’.

Coinciding with World Tourism Day on the 27th of September, the three-day travel and tourism exhibition and cultural show will take place at the Municipal Council grounds, Jaffna under the mandated theme by the United Nations to drive digital tourism. 

 
The event will be celebrated under the patronage of the Tourism Development and Christian Affairs Minister, Hon. John Amaratunga, with the participation of Northern Province Chief Minister, Justice C.V. Wigneswaran and State Tourism Minister, Ranjith Aluvhare and several other distinguished guests. 

A special panel discussion on 'Tourism and the Digital Transformation’ will take centerstage with Rohan Jayaweera, Sri Lanka Country Google Consultant, Firaz Markar, Manager – Digital Advisory, Stax Inc, Praveen Premkumar, Founder and CEO, Pikanite, Rajiva Witharana, Founder and Managing Director of Scienter Technologies, Damitha Gunawardena, Manager – Digital Inclusion, Dialog Axiata PLC and Nipuna Liyanapathirana, Business Analyst Information Technology and Services. Additionally, bloggers and influencers gather for an interactive Dialog ‘ngage’ (#ngage) session at the Kailasapathy Auditorium of the University of Jaffna. Nishan Casseem, Chief Content Officer, Roar, Aysha Cassim, Communications Officer & Freelance Writer, Ascharya Pinto, Photographer and Ramesh Kumareson, Unit Manager – Business Development & Innovation, Digital Advertising and Media will share on interesting topics ranging from tourism through social media to new age vernacular content relevant to the theme. A street food festival and an essay, photography and video competition will also take place as side events to mark the World Tourism Day. 

Digital advances continue to transform the tourism sector and can help improve entrepreneurship, inclusion, local community empowerment and efficient resource management, amongst other important tourism development objectives. This year’s theme will support the SLTDA to further explore the opportunities provided to tourism by technological advances including big data, artificial intelligence and digital platforms.

World Tourism Day 2018 is a unique opportunity to raise awareness on the potential contribution of digital technologies to sustainable tourism development, while providing a platform for investment, partnerships and collaboration towards a more responsible and inclusive tourism sector. Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, partners the SLTDA and SLTPB as the strategic partner to World Tourism Day 2018. 
All institutions under the Tourism Development and Christian Affairs Ministry, including the Northern Tourist Bureau, the Northern Provincial Council and the University of Jaffna are involved in the organisation of the event.