Ven. Dr Kirinde Assaji Thera, Deputy Chief Incumbent of Gangaramaya Temple, Hunupitiya, said that Sri Lanka should harness the tourist potential of the Buddhist heritage in Pakistan.
Ven. Dr Kirinde Assaji Thera, was making the keynote address at a webinar on “Opportunities and Challenges for Pakistan’s Buddhist Tourism in Sri Lanka,” on Sunday.
The webinar was organized by the High Commission of Pakistan in Colombo in collaboration with Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).
The objective of the webinar was to promote the Buddhist heritage of Pakistan in Sri Lanka and to provide a platform for the travel agents and key stakeholders on both sides to explore the potential of Pakistan’s Buddhist tourism in Sri Lanka.
Welcoming the promotion of Pakistan’s Buddhist tourism in Sri Lanka and reflecting upon his memorable visit as part of the high-level Buddhist Monks delegation to Pakistan, the Thera pointed out the commendable efforts of Pakistan in preserving its Buddhist heritage. He defined Pakistan as a new and unique destination for Buddhist travellers from Sri Lanka.
“Religious pilgrimages were stalled due to the pandemic which affected the world, as a member of the clergy I know the significance of religious tourism and its impact on spiritual life,” the Thera said, pointing out that its time to resume such visits to religious sites since the pandemic situation is easing in many parts of the world. He said that he personally saw the rich cultural Buddhist heritage in Pakistan which should be witnessed by the people of Sri Lankan to strengthen people to people contact between the two countries.
Ven. Dr. Assaji Thera further said that Pakistan is promoting such tourism in the wake of its strong friendly relations with Sri Lanka, which has reached extraordinary heights.
by Daily News Sri Lanka
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