Sri Lanka
The Paradise Island
Italy has been the second home for a sizable Sri Lankan community at present. Official records disclose over 112,000 Sri Lankans living in Italy as of 2021, majority of them in the region of Lombardy. It is believed that the actual number might have exceeded the recorded number as of now.
Sri Lankans living in Italy plays a significant role in the Italian economy through their engagement in important commercial and social activities. At the same time, they are well integrated into the Italian society, sharing their own cultural heritage, history and culinary delights etc on different occasions since they are keen to preserve their cultural identity though been far from their country.
The overall objective of the “Sri Lanka Festival in Milan” is to assist the Sri Lankan community to better integrate with the Italian community through sharing the cultural values, heritage and identity with the larger Italian community and promote the total image of Sri Lanka projecting the country as an attractive destination for tourism, trade and investment, presenting glimpses of the culture, culinary delights, art and craft etc. Exhibitors who are promoting and selling Sri Lankan originated products and services, will be invited to exhibit at the festival while on and off-stage performances by Sri Lankan cultural troupes will also be a key feature of the cultural festival.