‘Explore 2021’ – Virtual familiarisation tour of MICE venues by SLCB

Tour leader Kevin De Mel in action

 Suriya Luxury Resort Waikkala Assistant Manager – Sales and Marketing Thyagi Fernando making a presentation

Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) recently organised its first-ever virtual familiarisation tour of the newest and unique Meetings, Incentive travel, Conferences, Exhibitions (MICE) venues located in the areas from Colombo up to Beruwala and Colombo up to Waikkala. 

Over 100 participants representing local professional conference organisers, professional exhibition organisers, professional event organisers, meeting planners, wedding planners and destination management companies registered to attend the tour and update themselves about the newest and unique locations available for MICE activities. 

Presenters from selected hotels got the opportunity to reach out to a large, targeted audience in a very short time period and present their products via audio/video presentations. 

The participants had very positive remarks about the tour as they were able to get information pertaining to MICE facilities/activities of around 10 hotels in one go. They are now well geared to market these properties to foreign meeting planners who are on the lookout for different meeting experiences at exciting locations. 

SLCB is a Government institution functioning under the Ministry of Tourism which is working for the development as well as promotion of the MICE industry in Sri Lanka. This virtual tour was organised as part of its mandate to educate the local MICE industry and work towards its development.  

The original plan was to organise two separate physical tours to Bentota and Negombo. However, given the pandemic prevailing in the country at the moment, SLCB decided to convert them in to a combined virtual tour.