Eco-friendly miniature theme park | Sunday Observer

Eco-friendly miniature theme park

14 October, 2018

The Representative for ICT4SIDS in the Indian Ocean Region, Vittorio Coco, announced the initiation and planning phase of the Minilanka Heritage Park, an ambitious, multi-stakeholder tourism project aimed at furthering Sri Lanka’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the UN 2030 Agenda. The project will contribute to the fulfilment of SDGs 4, 12 and 17, through sustainable tourism.

Inspired by the 85,000-square metre, Italy-shaped Miniature Park in Rimini, Italy, the Minilanka Heritage Park will be built on a well accessible, countryside open space with a landscape design reflecting the teardrop shape of the island. The Park is expected to become a top-rated international tourist attraction and the first-in-the-world to showcase unique miniature (1:25 scale) replicas of the country’s landmarks produced using 3D laser scanning drones flying over the original sites and 3D printers fed with filaments extracted from recycled plastic waste.

The park development will integrate a series of multipurpose playfields: eco-certified bungalows for overnight guests, shopping and dining facilities all spread across a vibrant green environment. Completing the leisure experience for visitors will be a stretch of smart pavilions ordered to showcase different sustainability issues; i.e. poverty, health, education, climate change, life on land and below water, etc. This is aimed at providing youth and adults with a learning experience platform (augmented and virtual reality, gamification and computer-aided strategic planning etc.), to explore the current progress of and eventually contribute their own next generation solutions towards fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals in Sri Lanka.

“Sri Lanka has 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and wonderful natural attractions but not too many people know that. A miniature park is a great way to showcase Sri Lanka to the rest of the world all in one place. Visitors to Minilanka Heritage Park will be able to admire 50-100 models of important Sri Lanka buildings, heritage and nature sites, and the models made with modern technology, using for-the-first-time, recycled plastic waste. That’s sustainability! Around the model park, there will be themed pavilions about history, energy, mobility, hospitality, water, food and the future. It’s going to be half-a-day of great fun for everyone!”said Erik Rorsch, Creative Director at the Miniature City.

“It’s a lucrative investment prospect for local investors and an opportunity for domestic stakeholders to contribute to Sri Lanka’s journey to fulfil the SDGS, through bolstering sustainable tourism. By introducing the vision of an eco-smart theme park project in Sri Lanka, ICT4SIDS aims to challenge the tourism industry to support innovative solutions in the preservation of Sri Lanka’s heritage and conservation of the environment. The Park is also envisioned as a powerful tool to create and enhance new cultural, economic and social opportunities in the tourism industry for younger generations.

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