Expansive tourism promotion and road show held in Kingdom of Bahrain

Sri Lanka Tourism in close coordination with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Kingdom of Bahrain conducted a major tourism promotional event recently, in order to lure and woo tourists and visitors from Bahrain to Sri Lanka. The mega road show and event consisted of Business to Business (B2B) sessions, comprehensive presentations and workshops, pro-active interaction between Sri Lankan and Bahraini corporates, Q & A session and raffle draws followed by dinner at premier Hotel Rotana in Bahrain. 

Nearly 20 corporates, travel agents and hoteliers from Sri Lanka travelled to Bahrain to participate at this event along with officials of Sri Lanka Tourism. Well over 80 travel agents, tour operators and companies from Bahrain attended the event and interacted with the Sri Lankan travel and hospitality delegation, thus making the event highly successful, result oriented and fruitful.    

Some of the leading companies, which participated included Aitken Spence Travels, Araliya Green Hills Hotel, B.O.C. Travels, Diethelm Travel Group, Hayleys Tours, Jetwing Travels, Marriott Resort & Spa, Movenpick Hotel Colombo and NKAR Travels & Tours, among others. This expansive event and road show commenced around 5 in the evening enabling both Sri Lankan and Bahraini companies to engage in B2B activities and the formal segment of the event began around 8 in the evening. The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Bahrain, Dr. A. Saj U. Mendis welcomed the invitees from Bahrain and Sri Lankan corporates in his opening address at the event. 

This was followed by a comprehensive power-point presentation by Madubhani Perera, Director of Marketing of Sri Lanka Tourism, which encompassed almost all touristic attractions including flora and fauna, adventure and eco-friendly tourism, UNESCO heritage and cultural sites, festivals and special events, national parks and luxury resorts as well as breathtaking beaches and manicured tea estates, among others. The presentation impressed and accentuated the fact that Sri Lanka is an idealistic and quixotic location for wedding ceremonies, family focused visits and newly married couples and honeymooners as well as business and corporate Annual General Meetings (AGMs), among others. 

The presentation made by SriLankan Airlines highlighted the easy access to Sri Lanka from Bahrain including the high degree of frequency of flights between the two countries. Today, there are daily SriLankan Airlines direct flights and Gulf Air operates five direct flights a week, thus establishing easy connectivity to Bahrain and Middle Eastern tourists and travellers. 

Ambassador Dr. Mendis, in his opening remarks, enunciated that Sri Lanka is a ‘Mecca for Tourism’ taken into consideration the number of touristic attractions, leisure a1ctivities, sightseeing of many parts of the unique landscape of the country, entertainment and shopping and different kinds of culinary cuisine, among others. He further added that, today, Sri Lanka is amongst the safest and most secured and peaceful countries in the world. Ambassador Dr. Mendis highlighted that a number of travel and tourism magazines of repute such as ‘Lonely Planet’ and ‘National Geographic’ have listed Sri Lanka as amongst the most sought after touristic destinations in the world on par with Hawaii. Both the Ambassador and Director of Sri Lanka Tourism stated that the country, today, boast some of the finest and most reputed international chains of hotels as well as resorts and restaurants. 

Both Ambassador Mendis and Perera stated that tourism is considered as one of the economic pivots by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Government as well as Sri Lanka Tourism extends and expends significant amounts of funds to upgrade and advance the touristic infrastructure, in all spheres, in the country, thus accommodating and facilitating all needs and desires of discerning tourists and visitors to Sri Lanka. Ambassador Mendis added that given the absolute security and stability in the country, among other touristic endowments, the potential visitors from Bahrain as well as from neighbouring Middle Eastern countries would patently find Sri Lanka as one of the finest touristic destinations in the world. Perera, Director of Marketing, stated that Sri Lanka Tourism was passionate and eager to promote, profile and enhance the image of Sri Lanka amongst the potential visitors and tourists in the region of Middle East. In this context, she added that Road Shows would be held in other Middle Eastern cities as well. 

Many of the corporates and travel agents who attended the Tourism Road Show in Bahrain were enthralled and captivated of the touristic attraction of the country and most stated that they would assertively promote and encourage potential tourists and visitors to travel to Sri Lanka.