Sri Lanka Tourism woos Aussies via road shows in three cities
Daily FT: As another result of its worldwide promotional tour, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau arranged three roadshows in Australia post-pandemic.
The inaugural event took place in Brisbane featuring the distinguished presence of High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Australia Chitranganee Wagiswara, Sri Lanka›s Consul General in Melbourne Sandith Samarasinghe, and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu, accompanied by officials from Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and the Sri Lanka Consulate, on 19 March in Brisbane and proved to be a resounding success. Thirty-two Sri Lankan companies participated alongside sixty Australian travel and tour operators and Australian media personnel. The feedback received was overwhelmingly positive, indicating a fruitful exchange of ideas and opportunities. These roadshows serve as vital platforms for developing partnerships and enhancing collaborations between Sri Lankan businesses and their Australian counterparts. Moreover, they play a pivotal role in revitalising the tourism sector in Sri Lanka by stimulating interest and engagement from Australian markets. The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau›s adept organisation of these events underscores its commitment to promoting tourism and facilitating meaningful connections within the industry.
On 21 March, Sri Lanka Tourism successfully concluded its second roadshow at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney. The event garnered participation from over 75 Australian travel trade companies and 25 media representatives and influencers, facilitating fruitful business discussions between Australian and Sri Lankan participants. The opening remarks at the second roadshow were delivered by High Commissioner Wageeswara. SLTPB Chief Gajabahu provided the keynote on the new global positioning of Sri Lanka. Consul General Samarasingha also addressed the attendees.
SriLankan Airlines Manager for Sydney Sakura Wijethunga represented the National carrier in Sri Lanka. The event featured a vibrant dance performance, adding colour and liveliness to the proceedings. The roadshow served as a platform for fostering collaboration and promoting Sri Lanka as a premier tourist destination among Australian travellers.
The conclusion of the series of roadshows in Australia took place at the Sofitel hotel in Melbourne, marking a significant milestone in SLTPB’s efforts to promote Sri Lanka as a premier tourist destination in Australia. With the participation of over 50 Australian agents and 35 media representatives, the event was a testament to the growing interest in Sri Lanka’s tourism offerings. The day commenced with productive B2B meetings, facilitating valuable connections between Australian and Sri Lankan businesses. This was followed by an official ceremonial session, featuring a warm welcome speech from Consul General Samarasingha. SLTPB Chief Gajabahu provided valuable insights into Sri Lanka’s tourism landscape, setting the stage for further discussions.
The highlight of the event was the address by Sri Lanka Tourism Ambassador Sanath Jayasuriya, whose presence captivated the audience. A keynote speech by Tourism Minister Harin Fernanado emphasised the vast opportunities for leisure and investment in Sri Lanka. The interactive Q&A session further underscored the attendees’ keen interest in exploring business prospects in Sri Lanka.
OSL take
Sri Lanka’s tourism authorities are focused on providing a further impetus to the steadily growing tourism industry through promotional campaigns including roadshows in tourist source markets. These promotional campaigns have targeted traditional tourist markets as well as new emerging tourist markets ad well. The introduction of new tourism concepts that address the requirements of the global traveler has resulted in a steady growth in tourist arrivals to the country since last year. All these are indicative of the overall expansion in the tourism industry and the need for the industry to be prepared to address the growing needs of the industry. Therefore, there are increasing business/investment opportunities in the development of infrastructure and supplementary infrastructure facilities required by the tourism industry to meet the growing demand. Also, the increasing demand in the leisure and hospitality sectors has attracted many international leisure and hospitality brands to explore investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. With Sri Lanka focusing on pushing for a two fold growth in tourist arrivals to the country, there’s a growing business potential in the tourism industry that in turn offers lucrative business/investment opportunities for foreign businesses/investors in the respective industry.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20240422/Z_3 |