Prime Minister inaugurates 10th edition of Sancharaka Udawa after 3 year hiatus

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena listens to group of Veddahs who took up a stall at the “Sancharaka Udawa” two-day travel and tourism show which began yesterday at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre – Pic by Upul Abayasekara 

 

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena inaugurated the 10th edition of ‘Sancharaka Udawa’ yesterday at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exposition Centre.

The two-day event is organised by the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), and supported by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is being held after a three-year absence following multiple crises.

Veteran industry personnel and brainchild of the trade fair and SLAITO past President Nilmin Nanayakkara was conferred with a token of appreciation for creating such a platform for the tourism industry stakeholders.

The trade fair offers a vital platform for business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C), supporting all small, medium and large travel players to make their appearance. The exhibition is open from 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. today.

It also featured a panel discussion featuring Foreign Ambassadors from New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Maldives, and India titled ‘Resilient, Innovative and Sustainable Tourism for Sri Lanka’.

The knowledge partner of the event is the University of Colombo.

The platform will allow 250 exhibitors to market their products, whilst providing an opportunity to engage with the relevant Government authorities as well as build lasting connections with the target markets to grasp the most current layout of the tourism industry.

SLAITO President Nishad Wijetunga said despite the multiple challenges Sri Lanka faced since the beginning of the industry, it has come a long way, whilst commending the immense resilience of all the tourism stakeholders.

Noting that there is much to be achieved for Sri Lanka in the revival process, he said it could only be achieved via a sustainable approach with a clear strategy for the coming years. Exhibitors include hotels and resorts, restaurants, entertainment services and boutique hotels, which will be the largest segment, transport providers, universities, and provincial tourism authorities among others.