Capitalising on increased interest by Aussie tourists

Monday, 15 July 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

At Sigiriya

Enjoying the seaside

A team of 18 Australian travel and tour operators arrived in Sri Lanka on a 10-day long familiarisation tour hosted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB).

Tourist arrivals from Australia have shown a steady incline in recent months and it is envisioned that the familiarisation tour would capitalise on this wave of interest. Over 4,000 tourists had arrived from Australia to Sri Lanka mostly by air during the month of June this year.

The tour operators prior to the familiarisation tour had cited that tourists from Australia were particularly interested in the cultural triangle, the beaches down south and exploring both Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya. This customised tour will take the 18 tour agents on a 10-day tour starting from Negombo, Habarana, Trincomalee, Kandy, Dambulla, Mirissa, Ahungalla and return to Colombo before their departure. They visited Sigiriya and the Dambulla Cave temple, Koneswaram Temple, Marble beach, and will be heading to Riverston, with many more in the itinerary line up. On the 15th on the day of their departure, they will proceed to Colombo Airport, and prior to their departure, they will have a B2B meeting with the Sri Lankan travel trade.

The tourists were much impressed with the culture and beauty of Sri Lanka and were curious to know more about the destination. When inquired on what was their impression regarding Sri Lanka, the travel agents had positive feedback to give on their experience.

“We’re really happy to be here and we had a wonderful experience by exploring all these historical sites, exquisite beaches and wildlife parks. Sri Lanka is an ideal destination for the traveller. There’s so much to see and explore,” said one Australian tourist who came from Melbourne.

The travel agents were really thankful to the SLTPB for providing the opportunity to explore a beautiful destination, and also giving a chance to spread the message that Sri Lanka is a safe and an interesting destination to travel.