TBM Staff - Mumbai SriLankan Airlines, the award-winning National Airline of Sri Lanka and a member of the prestigious one world airline alliance, recently took top Travel Agents and elite sports influencers from India to watch the first match of the test series between Sri Lanka and Australia, which was held at the Galle International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka.
The visit also served an opportunity to the influencers and agents to witness normalcy in the country and how inbound tourism is flourishing across the island. The tourism industry of Sri Lanka has always been one of the largest sources of foreign revenue for the country. It has been no secret that the country is currently passing through the most difficult time in its recent history due to the ongoing economic crisis just after the COVID 19 pandemic which had previously destructed tourism in the country.
In order to inspire travellers across India which is the Airline’s single largest source market and also to reassure that Sri Lanka is welcoming and safe, the Airline took this initiative whereby inviting the tourists arriving in Sri Lanka to make the most of this much sought-after tourist paradise – with high exchange rates and great travel offers.
Richard Nuttall, CEO, SriLankan Airlines, met the group at a fellowship and dinner where he spoke his sentiments, “We believe that Sri Lanka holds a timeless appeal to the discerning Indian traveller; whether you are travelling solo or with family; or whether you are a seasoned repeater or a first-timer. During these challenging times, I firmly believe that the India Market will be largely helpful in our bounce back efforts. I am confident that our long-standing affinity with the Indian travel trade partners will pave the way for fruitful results in the days to come.”
The Fam tour included a memorable opening day of the first test between Sri Lanka and Australia played in honour of the legend the late Shane Warne, at the Galle International Cricket Stadium, a city tour of Colombo and experiencing a range of luxury hospitality properties in Colombo and the Southern Coast of the island. The Airline also offered them a memorable flying experience inclusive of a Business Class service.
Expressing her feeling, Pradnya Naik , Head of FIT Products, Contracting, Cruises & Trade Relations, Kesari Tours, said, “Thank you SriLankan Airlines for inviting me to your beautiful island and the on-ground situation is very safe. A lot has been said and talked about the current scenario in Sri Lanka which has been portrayed in the media with partial truth and fake news. All my worries vanished post visiting this gorgeous country. Sri Lanka is open for travel and rest assured you will be in safe hands.
Vikas Kashyap of Yatra.com said, “We felt so comfortable. Everything worked out on time and was handled perfectly. We felt very safe and were treated like royals or VIPs. We will definitely recommend SriLankan Airlines to our customers/agents and to our friends who are also planning trips out of India.”
SriLankan Airlines, Head of Marketing Saminda Perera said, “Our intension has been to portray Sri Lanka as a safe and secure destination to the travellers from our closest neighbour, and to re-emphasize that the timeless charm of the destination remains intact despite what one sees or hears about the country on media which is mostly exaggerated.”
