Sri Lanka to push joint-industry promotion in a bid to woo tourists
Sri Lanka is reportedly pushing what is likely to be the biggest joint industry promotional effort from mid next month in a bid to attract more tourists to the country.
The flagship initiative is the ‘buy-one-get-one-free’ air ticket offer by SriLankan Airlines whilst 91 hotels in Colombo and outside are supporting the initiative with special holiday packages, according to local media reports.
The travel trade has already begun marketing the offers made by the hotels and resorts whilst SriLankan Airlines is gearing to make its tempting proposition available in 17 destinations where it currently operates to, reports further noted.
“Keeping in line with the proposal made by the Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka Inbound Tour Operators Association (SLAITO) and ‘One Industry – One Voice’ partners have drawn several packages to promote Sri Lanka in August, September and October,” SLAITO Spokesman has told the Daily FT.
In addition to the National Carrier, SLAITO has reportedly said the other airlines operating to Colombo would also be offering special fares during the three-month period.
According to reports, prospective tourists have the option of selecting from seven packages ranging from a minimum of three nights to maximum of seven nights. For example, a three-night package cost will range from US$ 227-US$ 272 per person sharing depending on the class of accommodation. The seven-night package cost will range from US$ 403-US$ 508 per person sharing.
The trip includes beach holidays and nine other tourist attractions, including Kandy Temple of the Tooth Relic, Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens, Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Sigiriya rock fortress, Dambulla cave temple, Minneriya National Park, Yala National Park, Polonnaruwa cultural site and Kosgoda turtle hatchery. In addition, meetings with the Veddah community — the indigenous group of people in Sri Lanka, witnessing the process of Ceylon Tea at a plantation and tea factory and shopping in Colombo has been included in some of the packages, local media reports added.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry was one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the country when the global Covid 19 pandemic brought about global travel restrictions. Sri Lanka’s tourism authorities are now engaged in an aggressive promotional campaign to boost the country’s tourism industry. The island has been listed as a must visit destination by several leading global travel publications and the country’s airports have also received the internationally recognised safety and hygiene certifications making the island an attractive travel destination in post Covid travel. All this has expanded business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. The country is currently recording an increase in foreign visitors to the country.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/03072021/Z_1 |