Sri Lanka is on the bucket list of many-a-traveller. A fair amount of enthusiasm and excitement from viewers would therefore have been expected when Australia’s Seven Network launched a competition to win a trip to Sri Lanka, in conjunction with Dilmah Ceylon Tea. However, a response of nearly 60,000 entries was completely unexpected – and unprecedented! It, in fact, broke television records in Australia, for the highest number of entries received for a competition of this sort.
Dream Escape, as the competition was aptly titled, allowed 20 lucky participants the opportunity to win a five-night stay for two in Sri Lanka. Return tickets to Colombo from Sydney were sponsored by SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lanka’s national carrier, known for its warmth and hospitality. The first two nights of the trip were to be spent in Colombo, enjoying the sights, sounds and vibrance of the country’s capital city. Winners then had the opportunity to choose from three exclusive luxury properties managed by Resplendent Ceylon, the competition’s hospitality partner and luxury hospitality arm of Dilmah Tea, for the next three nights. They could spend this time up in the chilly tea country at a colonial-style Ceylon Tea Trails bungalow, or at the exotic Cape Weligama resort in the south, or at the uber-cool Wild Coast Tented Lodge property that lies between jungle and ocean in Yala.
The competition was prompted by Dilmah’s desire to celebrate 40 years of Dilmah Ceylon Tea in Australia. In true Dilmah style – inspired by our beloved late Founder Merrill J. Fernando – celebrating anything grand involves giving back on a grander scale. Thus, the idea to treat 20 winners from Dilmah’s first international market to a trip around the beautiful island from which Dilmah takes the purest of Ceylon tea to the world. After all, Dilmah tea has been a top favourite for decades among tea consumers in Australia.
The competition was open to all of Seven Network’s ‘Sunrise’, ‘Weekend Sunrise’, and ‘The Morning Show’ Australian viewers. With a total jackpot of AUD 260,000, each winner’s trip was worth a breezy AUD 13,000. All it took to stand a chance to win this luxurious getaway was an entry stating, in up to 25 words, why you would love to visit Sri Lanka – the home of Dilmah tea, and how you enjoy your perfect cuppa.
We wish all the lucky winners of this competition a truly memorable time during their luxurious Dream Escape to our beautiful island!
