South Asia’s premier boat show and fisheries exhibition, ‘Boat Show 2014’ organized by Boat Building Technology Improvement Institute (BTI), Sri Lanka Export Development Board and Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services will take centre stage from October10 to12 at the Dickowita Fishery Harbour.
The theme of the event is ‘Promotion of Leisure Boating in Sri Lanka’.
The main objective of the event is to attract buyers from all corners of the globe, while positioning Sri Lanka as the hub for the industry in South Asia and to develop a forum between buyers and sellers to facilitate industry growth. The main feature of this year’s event will be the meeting of the International Marina Group of the ICOMIA, concentrating on the promotion of marina development and the development of leisure boating tourism.
The event will see the participation of over 30 delegates and boating and marina business specialists who will share knowledge and expertise.
Boat Building Technology Improvement Institute Lanka Chairman Neil Fernando said the exhibition has been designed to provide an even larger and more diverse show for enthusiasts and industry professionals from India, Pakistan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Singapore, South Korea,China,Germany,Netherlands,UK and USA.
“The event is a platform for local builders to display their capabilities and a gateway to attract foreign investments and technology. The exposure of this event will continue to add value to individual builders, industry and nation as a whole,”he said.
Specific sections on exhibition will include segments for boat builders, life rafts, fishing boats and equipment,water sports equipment and accessories, outboard engine parts and services and boat interiors.
The total exhibition will cover over 44 wide facets of the industry in terms of both industrial and recreational fishery as well as boating and leisure.
Herath said they have taken another step forward by combing the fisheries industry with this event.
It is the fisheries industry that has been the driving force behind the local boat building industry. Our boats are more popular in overseas markets and more and more people are visiting Sri Lanka to purchase fishing vessels. Therefore we believe that combining the segments of the industry with the boat show will further add value to the event.
In order to achieve new heights, the industry requires to have infrastructure to cater to new requirements. Development of such infrastructure was not possible over the years, Since the end of war, this has now become a possibility.
The development of marinas in selected areas of the country will act as catalyst to drive new investment and create new opportunities in the sector.
It will open up possibilities in the leisure boating markets and also create much needed infrastructure for marine tourism sector. It will also open up opportunities in yacht charter sector which will further boost Sri Lanka as a tourism hub.”
“Sri Lanka is a tourism hub. Activities such as diving, whale watching , sport fishing and sailing will add value to Sri Lanka’s nation as well as the livelihoods of local people in those areas by creating more job opportunities.
“We thank the Fisheries Minister for removing duties on the import of outboard engines and inboard marine engines, the removal of the value added tax on components for outboard engines which has greatly benefitted the fisheries industry. I also thank the government for imposing a duty on imports of boats to protect the local boating industry,” Herath said.
