People’s Bank partners with Central Cultural Fund to offer e-ticketing solution

A memorandum of understanding for partnership was inked and exchanged between the two institutions in the presence of People’s Bank Chairman Sujeewa Rajapakse and Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Minister Vidura Wickramanayaka

People’s Bank recently entered into a partnership with the Central Cultural Fund (CCF), which falls under the Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry, to provide an e-ticketing solution to be deployed at major tourist attractions in Sri Lanka. 

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the partnership was inked and exchanged between the two institutions in the presence of People’s Bank Chairman Sujeewa Rajapakse and Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Minister Vidura Wickramanayaka, at an event held at People’s Bank head office, Colombo 2, recently. 

Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry Secretary Somarathne Vidanapathirana, Archaeology Director General Prof. Anura Manathunga, CCF Director General Prof. Gamini Ranasinghe, the other CCF officials, board of directors of People’s Bank, People’s Bank Acting CEO/GM K.B. Rajapakse and the other corporate management members of People’s Bank were also present at the occasion.

The state-of-the-art solution will be designed, developed, hosted and maintained by People’s Bank in response to a request made by the CCF. The new system will not only streamline the entire process but also will enable tourists to see the heritage sites virtually prior to visiting Sri Lanka. While providing the CCF with the opportunity to generate the much-needed foreign currency and simplify internal processes, the solution also underscores People’s Bank’s standing as the leader in digitalisation in Sri Lanka’s banking industry.

The multi-lingual web-based solution will provide a web app for purchasing tickets and mobile apps for the CCF for ticket verification. With the Internet Payment Gateway and Payment Solution integrated into the system, a variety of payment methods can be used for the payments. The solution will include the ticket servicing module for the admin and a tour agent portal for authorised users. The web app will also provide a virtual tour of the heritage sites using augmented reality and a marketplace for purchasing souvenirs and publications online. 

The CCF is the principal heritage management institution in Sri Lanka, where it mainly generates income through ticket sales to tourists, who visit the many sites under the CCF, including Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura and many others. For example, Sigiriya alone is visited by 2,000 to 3,000 tourists daily. The CCF expects to further increase the tourist visits to these sites by offering them greater convenience and an enhanced experience, thus generating the much-needed foreign currency for the country.