Colombo hosts French travel agents’ congress next week

• Over 300 travel agents to participate and boost Sri Lanka’s global visibility as attractive destination 

The Syndicat National des Agences de Voyages (SNAV), now referred to as Les Entreprises du Voyage (LEV) will be staged in Sri Lanka next week at the BMICH with 300 travel agents and is expected to promote Sri Lanka significantly in France and attract more tourists.   

This is the first time in 10 years that the Congress is set to be held at a long haul destination, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau said in a statement. 

The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau together with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and all private sector tourism stake holders will have the opportunity to showcase Sri Lanka’s unique tourism products and services to the French market. Through the JEV Congress, Sri Lanka’s tourism officials expect to develop the booming French market and achieve the highest number of travellers from France in the future.

“In a bilateral aspect, France is one of the key countries for Sri Lanka in tourism and travel, standing at over 86,126 French travelers to the country in 2015. The exposure received from this prestigious event to Sri Lanka will consolidate and strengthen the bilateral bonds of friendship between the people of Sri Lanka and France,” the statement added. 

According to Tourism Promotion Chairman Paddy Withana, hosting the conference in Sri Lanka will have a positive impact on the country as the agents will share their experience of Sri Lanka with their customs and promote Sri Lanka as a great tourist destination. 

He further said that French community is especially attracted to Sri Lanka because of its rich heritage and ancient culture mixed with its colourful splendour.

Created in 1944, LEV is a professional organisation with a membership of 5,700 State-approved travel agencies and tour operators of France, representing more than 5,000 sales points in that country. It started with the objective of affirming economic and social substantiality of the industry and tourism and travel in France and Europe. Constantly, LEV seeks to develop the profession of the travel agent. Since 1962, the LEV has also given the consumer better protection by creating the APS (the Association professionnelle de solidarité du tourisme) relating to financial guarantees. 

On a European level, the LEV is a member of the ECTAA (European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Associations). Its mission is primarily to defend the profession, and in particular its negotiations with public authorities (national and European) including other stakeholders, such as Airlines, rail or sea.

The JEV Congress is an annual event held in a top tourism destination where over 300 delegates, majority of them being Outbound Travel Agents in France, attend the Congress. This time JEV had picked a destination in Asia to host this major event and it is after a 10-year hiatus. By hosting the JEV 2016 Congress, Sri Lanka wishes to open her full tourism potential to French Market in the coming years. 

Over 300 French travel agents are scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka for this historic event and they will be visiting Negombo, Colombo with excursions to the cultural triangle during the six days of the Congress, the statement said.