May 31, Colombo: Sri Lanka's commercial hub, the city of Colombo, is gearing up for the 11th International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) scheduled to be held in Colombo from June 3-5.
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has spent Rs 75 million to give a complete facelift to the City for the awards ceremony which is to be held at the Sugathadasa Stadium.
IIFA 2010 in Colombo is expected to be attended by more than 600 Indian film industry guests and watched by over 600 million TV viewers in 110 nations. The Indian celebrities expected in the country include Shah Rukh Khan and several other leading stars.
The city's hotels are well prepared to host the celebrity guests attending the award ceremony and the other events associated with it that includes a business forum, a fashion show, and a celebrity cricket match between Bollywood stars and Sri Lankan cricketers.
According to the Colombo City Tourist Hotels Association (CCTHA) President, M. Shanthikumar, hotels in the city would have 650 rooms-nights per day available, on a bed and breakfast basis and 148 suites on a full-board basis, which would amount to a total of 2,600 room-nights, for the duration of the event.
The city officials and the Sri Lankan government expect the event to be a major boost to the country's tourism industry by giving a huge exposure worldwide showcasing Sri Lanka as an attractive tourist destination.