Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau eyes Egyptian market.
The Morning: Expanding its familiarisation tour campaigns in the Middle Eastern Region, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), in collaboration with the Sri Lankan Embassy in Egypt, organised a familiarisation tour for eight Egyptian travel agents from 20 to 26 October 2022.
They were highly fascinated with their experience in Sri Lanka, admiring the country’s scenic beauty and cultural splendour while also experiencing the tantalising tastes of traditional Sri Lankan cuisine, the SLTPB stated. This tour was highly recommended by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Egypt, seeing the potential of attracting Middle Eastern travellers to the destination and its capacity as a possible source market.
The purpose of the tour was to create awareness about the rising potential of Sri Lanka Tourism to encourage Egyptian travel agents to organise more tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka. The tour covered several major tourist attractions such as Minneriya, Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, and Beruwela. Complimentary service facilities for the tour were provided by the Mahaweli Reach Hotel Kandy, Anantara Hotel Kalutara, and Aitken Spence Travels.
Nuwara Eliya and the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery were two of the main attractions by which the visitors were particularly fascinated.
Proceeding further, B2B sessions were held successfully following the tour with the eight Egyptian tour operators on 25 October at the Movenpick Hotel Colombo, and 50 members from the travel trade industry were given the opportunity to participate in these sessions.
Both local and Egyptian travel agents were able to share their ideas and inquire about possible connections between the two destinations. Though Egypt at the moment is not a main source market for the country’s tourism sector, it can be highlighted as a potential market, which will be able to draw a large number of tourists to Sri Lanka given the relevant promotion.
In addition, a discussion session was also organised with Egyptian tour operators with the participation of Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando, which was also joined by the Ambassador to Egypt for Sri Lanka. The SLTPB Chairman as well as the SLTPB Managing Director participated in this event along with other SLTPB officials. Important details and strategies pertaining to the promotion of Sri Lanka Tourism in Egypt and the holiday options which can be highlighted for Egyptian travellers were discussed at this meeting.
The total number of tourist arrivals from Egypt was recorded as 1,810 by September 2022, which is expected to increase following steps to create awareness about Sri Lanka among Egyptian travellers.
Sri Lanka offers a wide range of holiday opportunities for every traveller, and it can be assured that travellers will not be disappointed with its endless holiday and travel opportunities. With its mesmerising beaches, lavish greenery, exotic wildlife, and easy accessibility to locations, Sri Lanka is an exceptional holiday destination that can be visited and explored around the year.
It is expected that the Egyptian travel agents who were able to experience Sri Lanka as a travel destination would encourage their fellow countrymen to come and visit this beautiful island paradise.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s tourism authorities are engaged in aggressive promotional campaigns targeting key foreign tourist source markets as well as new markets to woo tourists to the country. Sri Lanka has recorded a steady growth in tourist arrivals to the country in the past few months, indicating the growth momentum in the tourism industry. Also, the increase in the number of international airlines operating flights to Sri Lanka is also indicative of the growing tourist arrivals to the country. Sri Lanka has also received exposure in the international media as a must visit tourist destination and the appreciation of the US Dollar in Sri Lanka have made Sri Lanka an attractive tourist destination in the region. All these developments indicate an expansion in business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, especially in the leisure and hospitality sectors. The growth and business potential in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is evident in the interest shown by international leisure and hospitality brands to enter Sri Lanka. With the tourism industry showing a growth momentum, foreign businesses/investors could explore the expanding opportunities in the industry.
Article Code : | VBS/AT/14112022/AT_2 |