‘Hello Again’ virtual tourism awareness session for US-based tour operators, media

The webinar in progress

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the US Ravinatha Aryasinha has observed that the credibility Sri Lanka Tourism earned in caring for the tourists who made lengthy extensions of their stay in the country at the time COVID broke out, and SriLankan Airlines being one of the few carriers that continued to fly when most commercial airline fleets were grounded, should give confidence for international travellers to visit the island once again, now that travel for tourists has resumed. 

Ambassador Aryasinha noted that prior to COVID-curtailed global travel, tourist arrivals from the US had grown by 260% from 2010 to 2019, an annual average growth well over 20%, making the US one of the fastest-growing tourist arrival countries, which mainly drew niche tourists visiting and also staying longer. 

The Ambassador made these comments on Wednesday (27 January), when he hosted a virtual ‘Hello Again; Sri Lanka tourism awareness session’ to announce the re-opening of Sri Lanka for international tourists from 21 January, and share details of the strategy adopted to ensure tourists enjoyed their stay, while being protected from COVID. The event was organised by the Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington D.C., with assistance from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and the SriLankan Airlines GSA office in the US, and attracted more than 60 tour and travel partners and media personal, including Expedia and Priceline. 

Sri Lanka Tourism Chairperson Kimarli Fernando said, Sri Lanka is “safe and exciting even during the pandemic”. She noted that Sri Lanka does not require a minimum number of days to stay in the country within the ‘Bio Bubbles’ introduced by the SLTPB. While staying in a secure level 1 hotel recognised by Sri Lanka Tourism, or multiple hotels if needed within the ‘Bio Bubble’, they could use all the facilities of the hotels including SPA, the pool and the restaurants and visit tourist sites within the bubble. These level 1 hotels which have been certified by KPMG, as well as Ernst & Young, provide accommodation exclusively for international tourists. 

After an initial 14 days of the stay within the ‘Bio Bubble’, travellers will be able to exit from it at any time subject to having a negative PCR test, and be able to interact with the local community. The tourists are required to undergo several PCR tests during their stay, and medical insurance with a premium of $ 12 covered all the expenses related to transportation and ICU facility in the event of any difficulty. 

Joining the discussion, Chairman, Airport and Aviation Major General (Rtd) G.A. Chandrasiri welcomed passengers to the two Sri Lankan airports – Colombo and Mattala, and emphasised that maximum precautionary measures have been taken to ensure protection of the passengers’ safety. 

SriLankan Airlines CEO Vipula Gunatileka said, although SriLankan does not fly to North America, through its strong partnership with ‘One World’, they have solid relationships with British Airways from Toronto, as well as with Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines, whereby SriLankan Airlines is able to help tourists from different gateways it has connections with.

Civil Aviation Authority Chairman Upul Dharmadasa said, the Civil Aviation Authority is working closely with the airlines around the world to facilitate the travel of tourists to Sri Lanka, and reviewing processes constantly to stay abreast of the latest health guidelines. 

SriLankan Airlines GSA for US, Canada and the Caribbean Dilan Ariyawansa elaborated on the connections from the various North American cities to Sri Lanka, and the prospects seen of increasing US travellers to Sri Lanka through the pandemic period and beyond.  

Sri Lanka Tourism Director Marketing Dushan Wickramasuriya highlighted the potential of the US market to attract tourists to different sectors in Sri Lanka – soft adventure, cruise travel, wellness tourism, wildlife, and to promote luxury villas. He said travel partners can also sell tailor-made itineraries encouraging tourists to travel to Sri Lanka to spend a few days, when planning to visit countries like Thailand, Maldives, India and others in East Asia and South Asia. 

The event coordinated by Second Secretary Niranga Palipana, concluded with an interactive session, where US travel partners sought clarifications and made suggestions on expanding the program. 

Embassy officials in partcipation