Metropolitan Photo Hub MD Taslim Rahaman addressing the press conference while (from left): Metropolitan Group Chief Technology Officer Anil Gunawardena, Ebert Silva Tours Chairperson/MD Rajini de Silva Mendis, SLTPB Chairman Udaya Nanayakkara, SLTPB MD Sutheash Balasubramaniam, My Deal.lk MD Damitha Ginigaddarage and Metropolitan Photo Hub GM Suresh Herath look on

– Pic by Indraratne Balasuriya

Sri Lanka Tourism has teamed up with Metropolitan and Canon to promote Sri Lanka through the eyes of the camera lens at the upcoming Canon Photo Marathon scheduled to be held on Saturday 21 October.

With the first photo marathon held in Sri Lanka in 2016, Sri Lanka joined other regional nations that have been annually holding photo marathon events in their respective countries to nurture tourism and photography. Some of these countries include Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, Cambodia, Brunei and Taiwan.

This year, the photo marathon is expected to be bigger with hundreds of photo enthusiasts including foreign residents and tourists signing up to participate.

“Photo marathon is an interesting initiative to highlight some of Sri Lanka’s famous sights from the perspective of the visitor. This is the most important aspect for the tourism industry; I congratulate the organisers for realising this and organising this event on an annual basis,” said Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs John Amaratunga.

“We are pleased with the initiative of Metropolitan Photo Marathon, and their competition will contribute to spreading the message of Sri Lanka as the preferred destination in Asia,” said Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau Chairman Udaya Nanayakkara.

The Canon Photo Marathon organised by Metropolitan Photo Hub Ltd. on behalf of Canon is expected to top a participation of over 400 photographers and over 800 anticipated photo submissions on the day.

“This is an open event for anyone who wants to participate. We have two categories. One is the student category and the other is the adult open category. The only criterion to participate is prior registration and a camera,” said Metropolitan Photo Hub Ltd. Managing Director Taslim Rahaman.

The contest will have two parts where contestants will have the opportunity to take photographs and submit them under two themes selected on the day. The grand prize of the photo marathon is a fully paid photography learning hip to Japan together with a Canon EOS

“This year, we have made the registration process more convenient by tying up with mydeal.lk where interested participants can register online on the mydeal.lk website,” added Rahaman.

Further, all participants have the opportunity to travel to their scenic locations via the iconic Ebert Silva double decker buses dedicated to carry tourists around the city, which will be available to participants on the day of the photo marathon. Ebert Silva Holidays have supported the photo marathon two years in a row as the official travel partner of the participants.

Metropolitan Photo Hub has pioneered many events and promoted the growth of the photography industry and the tourism industry in Sri Lanka in the past. This event is another milestone in these initiatives and this time the beneficiaries won’t only be the photography industry.

Registration fees of the participants will be donated to the Sri Lanka Council of the Blind to develop educational requirements of visually impaired students. Metropolitan Photo Hub is a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Group, renowned for marketing top global brands such as Canon. Canon is a global leader in the imaging and printing industry spanning over 35 years globally.

Source : http://www.ft.lk/travel-tourism/Sri-Lanka-Tourism-partners-Canon-Photo-Marathon-in-October/27-641632