Colombo: A team from Disneyland has agreed to travel to Sri Lanka in November to discuss opening the first Disneyland in South Asia in Hambantota.
“Diana (State Tourism Minister) walking the talk! Team from Disneyland have AGREED to visit #SriLanka in Nov. to hold discussions on setting up South Asia’s 1st Disneyland in Hambantota!” tweeted Jamila Husian, Associate Editor of Daily Mirror.
Diana Gamage will be visiting US soon to discuss plans for the USD 18 billion investment following an invitation from Walt Disney,” added Husian.
Diana walking the talk!
---Advertisement---Team frm Disneyland hv AGREED to visit #SriLanka in Nov. to hold discussions on setting up SouthAsia's 1st Disneyland in Hambantota!
Diana Gamage will be visiting US soon to discuss plans fr the $18bn investment following an invitation frm Walt Disney.
— Jamila Husain (@Jamz5251) October 23, 2022
She was invited by Alexia S. Quadrani, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations at the Walt Disney Company, Daily Mirror reported, adding that the State Minister had earlier written to Walt Disney Company inviting them to set up a Disneyland in Sri Lanka.
“Following your request, we at the Walt Disney Company have agreed to visit Sri Lanka during late November this year to hold a series of exploratory meetings to understand the financial feasibility of setting up a regional Disneyland in Hambantota,” Quadrani said in a letter to the State Minister.
A delegation from Disney is expected in November this year, the report said.
Quadrani said that, while unable to provide exact details, an investment would be in the range of $16-18 billion. This would provide much needed financial injection to Sri Lanka in order to mitigate the dollar crisis, the statement said.
She said that this project would boost Sri Lanka’s tourism sector.
The island nation of 22 million people is facing unprecedented crisis due to economical & political turmoil. The country is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials.