Sri Lanka to create history by soon welcoming South Asia’s first Disneyland
Not India, but its tiny island neighbour Sri Lanka is all set to become the new home of Disneyland in South Asia. Deemed as “the happiest place on earth,” the theme part envisioned by Walt Disney himself is spread across USA and other parts of the world but till date didn’t have a branch in South Asia.
However, recently, a team from Disneyland has planned a visit to Sri Lanka in November this year to finalise the set-up of South Asia’s first Disneyland in Hambantota. The project worth USD 18 billion is expected to boost Sri Lanka’s tourism and help the country recover from falling economy (caused due to government mismanagement, corruption and agricultural crisis). Prior to Disneyland coming to Sri Lanka, a Sri Lankan representative Diana Gamage (State Minister) will visit Walt Disney Company headquarters in California, USA.
In case you are wondering how Sri Lanka managed to come upon this feat; it came right after the country earned itself the hosting rights for the upcoming ‘Miss Tourism World – International Finale 2022’ in its capital city Colombo from 8th to 21st December 2022. Earlier, Croatia and Russia were the two nations shortlisted to host the 75th edition of the global pageant. But if sources are to be believed, they both voluntarily opted out to make way for Sri Lanka. This mega event where more than 80 countries will compete is all set to provide much-needed exposure and revival to Sri Lanka’s tourism.
For those unaware, Disneyland was born in the hands of Walt Disney in 1955 and was first established in Anaheim, California. Walt Disney was inspired by the idea of amusement parks (especially the Griffith Theme Park in Los Angeles) that his daughters loved to visit and wanted to put a Disney touch to it. He also wanted to create a place where both kids and adults can have fun together.
Initially, he thought to make this tourist attraction right beside Disney studios in Burbank, however, when he realised the intensity of the project, he bought a 160-acre land near Anaheim, and the rest as they say is history. Till date, Disneyland is owned and maintained by the Walt Disney Company. It is also said to have the largest visits (almost 726 million annually) in any theme parks across the world. The other most frequented Disneylands in the world are located in Paris, Tokyo, Florida, Shanghai and Hong Kong.