• Marina Promenade, the latest must-see sight
Nearly 90,000 visitors flocked to the Port City Marina Promenade since its opening on January 10, making it the latest must-see sight in Colombo.
As crowds draw to the new landscape, queues were seen forming outside the gates open from the Galle Face side, displaying great enthusiasm from the public to visit the new landscape.
Unprecedented numbers were seen especially during the holiday within the first week of opening from 10th and 17th of January.
The Marina Promenade was ceremonially opened by HE President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa and Chinese Foreign Minister, Hon. Wang Yi, on the 9th of January 2022.
The Port City Colombo Marina Promenade is the first major attraction within the megaproject to be accessible to the public. The opening ceremony coincided with two significant anniversaries for Sri Lanka and China; 65 years since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations and 70 years since the signing of the historic Rubber-Rice Agreement between the two countries.
A total of 89,540 people visited the Marina Promenade during the week from 10th to 17th January 2022.
The highest number of visitors, 25,580, being recorded on Sunday 16th January 2022. The next highest numbers were recorded on Friday and Monday, both of which were holidays, recording 19,717 and 21,665 visitors, respectively. The Marina Promenade features 500m of beautifully landscaped of promenade and is one of many public areas expected to be opened to the public within Port City Colombo. A total of 91 hectares of land has been allocated for public use including 53 acres of green spaces, 2km of beach and 14 acres for a central park, along with walkways, waterways and park connecting paths.
The Marina Promenade is open between 9.00am and 6.00pm for the public and can be accessed through a special entrance located opposite the Presidential Secretariat. Vehicles are not allowed at present and the public is encouraged to follow all COVID-19 prevention guidelines during their visit. Due to the overwhelming number of visitors and considering the health and safety of the public, project officials decided only to allow a maximum of 700 people to stay in the Marina Promenade at any given time with restrictions on using the footbridge.
Port City Colombo is an extension to the commercial heart of Colombo – the Central Business District – spanning 269 hectares (ha) reclaimed from the sea. By building a world class city; augmenting Colombo’s proposition as one of the best places to live, Port City aims to attract talent and investment to ensure a sustainable economic future by accelerating internationalisation. The multi-service Special Economic Zone status conferred by the recently enacted Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act positions Colombo is the ideal platform to leverage Sri Lanka’s geographical location connecting the East and West.
