President okays Anura’s visit

Tourism Minister Anura Bandaranaike has obtained Presidential approval to travel abroad for a tourism promotion event in South Korea.

Mr. Bandaranaike who was earlier asked by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to cut short a trip to Nepal and return to Sri Lanka after he failed to obtain the President’s permission for the visit, has now sought the presidential nod to go to Korea to attend a conference.

Mr Bandaranaike confirmed to The Sunday Times that he had obtained approval for his visit, but declined to elaborate.

The delegation will be led by Southern Province Governor Kingsley Wickremaratne and is to take part in an inter-island tourism policy conference which will be held from October 12 to 16 in Jaju in South Korea.

The aim of the conference is mainly to promote eco-tourism with the emphasis on environmental conservation. Minister Bandaranaike is to deliver the keynote address at the conference.

Next year the event will be held in the Southern Province.