The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, D.C. sponsored an event to boost tourist interest in Sri Lanka among Americans which included traditional Sri Lankan dance performances, Sri Lankan cuisine and music at the official residence of Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya.

More than 160 guests attended the reception hosted by Ambassador Wickramasuriya and the International Club of Washington. This evening of Sri Lankan culture follows on the heels of
a tour Ambassador Wickramasuriya staged in August for 25 members of the International Club in August.

Those 25 tourists, including a number of professionals, a travel writer and a Hollywood film location scout, traveled for 10 days in Sri Lanka, taking in Colombo, the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the
ancient city of Sigiriya, the Cave Temple of Dambulla, the old town of Galle and the sacred city of Kandy.

The travelers also visited the Yala National Park which is the second largest and most visited national park in Sri Lanka, and Minneriya National Park, where they witnessed the elephant gathering.

The U.S. tourists raved about the trip, some calling it the experience of a lifetime.

Ambassador Wickramasuriya told the group, "Tonight I am not the only ambassador here. All of you who went on our trip in August are also now ambassadors of Sri Lanka. You experienced how warm and friendly and beautiful Sri Lanka is. So tonight I will let you, the new ambassadors, talk about Sri Lanka."

Dillan Ariyawansa, the senior vice president for Sri Lankan Airlines in the U.S.A., Canada and the Caribbean also gave a presentation.

Ambassador Wickramasuriya noted that while the first "Signature Tour" in August used other commercial carriers, the next tours will use Sri Lankan Airlines.

Tourism in Sri Lanka has increased dramatically in the last year, and the Sri Lankan embassy in the U.S. has been working to increase the number of Americans who are taking part in the travel boom. Nearly all the reception guests expressed an interest in traveling to Sri Lanka in the near future.