Set to host the women's multi sport adventure race - Raid Amazon 2008 in January

Sri Lanka, fast earning a reputation as a destination catering to persons with a wide range of interests, now offers the sporty traveller, the excitement of competition and sports alongside its nature, culture, adventure and the long established sea and sand offer. In January 2008 Sri Lanka is set to host the world's biggest women's multi-sport adventure race - Raid Amazon.

With the French Foreign Ministry switching to Green and giving the go ahead to travel to Sri Lanka., the French organizer (ZBO) of the internationally acclaimed RAID AMAZONES has decided to hold its 7th edition in January 2008 in Sri Lanka. RAID AMAZONES has previously been hosted in exotic travel destinations in Guyana, Reunion, Mauritius and Kenya and Sri Lanka in 2004.

The RAID is a multi-sport adventure race where around 200-250 women, make up teams of three, and over a period of 6 days participate in various events, ranging from biking, canoeing, jungle courses and going on to multiple other outdoor activities. The idea being one of enjoying, discovering and relishing a country's landscape, its people, culture and traditions while engaging in sporting activities.

This event is due to get wide media coverage in France and other western European countries with NRJ Radio, the no. 1 radio station in France as the official radio partner of RAID giving daily on site live broadcasts of the event from Sri Lanka. All French TV channels have agreed to telecast two minute clips of the event in progress, giving the destination and the most picturesque scenes from Sri Lanka wide publicity. Around ten print media journalists are also scheduled to travel to Sri Lanka, with the organizers, gaining an opportunity for the destination to be further showcased in France.

According to Alexandre Debanne, the President of ZBO; a well known radio and TV personality in France, the reason to organize this event in Sri Lanka once again, is to show the true picture of Sri Lanka to the French public interested in travelling. "'We want to tell everyone that Sri Lanka is the place to visit as there are so many tourist sites to see within a short distance of each other. In fact, as soon as the host country for 2008 was announced, we had over 60 teams applying to participate in the event."

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, together with national career SriLankan Airlines are the principal local sponsors of the event. Connaissance de Ceylon will be coordinating the logistics, as the camp site, where the competitors will stay, is in close proximity to Amaya Lake. Commenting on the event Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Renton de Alwis opined "Sri, Lanka getting the Opportunity to host this event, is a recognition of the country as a sporting destination." De Alwis went on to add "We will soon see many more doors opening and many other international sporting organizations choosing Sri Lanka to host their events further boosting -Sri Lanka's image as a destination with a wide range of offers"