Sri Lanka Tourism gains momentum at IFTM TOP RESA Travel Fair 2019 in Paris

Tourism officials, Sri Lankan Ambassador and industry participants

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) along with a contingent of 31 travel trade representatives and a delegation led by SLTPB Chairman Kishu Gomes along with SLTPB French market Assistant Director Viranga Bandara and Assistant Director Sasanga Gunathilake, and SLTPB made their presence felt at the IFTM TOP RESA 2019 travel fair in Paris, which was held from 1 to 4 October. 

The official opening ceremony of the Sri Lanka stand was held at hall number one on 1 October under the auspices of Ambassador of Sri Lanka in France Buddhi Athauda, Kishu Gomes, SLAITO President Mahen Kariyawasam, Sri Lankan Embassy in France First Secretary Commercial Chandima Abeyrathne, the Sri Lanka delegation, tourism officials and industry stakeholders, media and special invitees.  

Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga mentioned in a quote to the IFTM Daily this year: “Last year Sri Lanka Tourism achieved 2.3 million tourist arrivals. In a matter of 10 years they have grown nearly five times. Despite the terror attacks, we are confident of achieving closer to two million visitors this year.” 

He further highlighted: “Sri Lanka is now running a full campaign on CNN and other influential media. We are also carrying out country specific campaigns, road shows, and participate in all the major travel fairs, like IFTM TOP RESA. France has been a longstanding market for Sri Lanka. We have been participating in this fair from the beginning and have had a very positive response over the years.”

Ambassador Buddhi Athauda in his opening remarks mentioned that the Embassy is fully geared to meet the inquiries and requests made by travel trade in France and working towards achieving the goals in French Market. He invited the Sri Lankan travel trade to utilise the resources of the embassy to promote the destination. 

Kishu Gomes expressed that Sri Lanka is expecting a positive revenue from international promotions to develop the economy in Sri Lanka. He thanked all the travel agents who represented Sri Lanka at the event, and especially the Sri Lankan Embassy in France. Sri Lanka has returned back to normalcy, and everything is continuing as usual, he stressed. 

Amongst the special attractions of the Sri Lanka stand was the tea counter which drew a lot of attention from those who participated at the event, and also got the opportunity to sip a cup of pure Ceylon tea. The traditional Sri Lankan sweetmeats which were served at the Opening ceremony too became a major crowd puller. 

Sri Lanka Tourism maximised the exposure at the IFTM Travel Fair being featured at IFTM Daily Official Travel Fair Magazine, IFTM Official Catalogue and advertising on outdoor panels of the fair grounds to enhance the destination presence. 

One full page interview of the Minister was featured on the day one edition of IFTM Daily Magazine highlighting the new developments and Sri Lanka’s potential in French Market. The official magazine carried full page advertisements of Sri Lanka on the day one and day one editions including the official show catalogue. Sri Lankan advertisements were posted on the official website of the IFTM (www.iftmdaily.com) ensuring highest visibility for destination attractions. 

The stall also had a variety of branded promotional items, activities including a virtual reality experience which had not been experimented before in IFTM in France. Visitors had the opportunity of taking selfies with eye-catching attraction among the millennial. 

It was a major crowd puller throughout the fair. A cultural dance performance which was full of vibrancy and colour kept the visitors enthralled. The stall was adorned with the newly launched brand ‘So Sri Lanka’.

The latest instalment of the promotional ‘So Sri Lanka’ campaign uses virtual reality (VR), 360-degree footage to showcase the country’s authentic and divers experiences. This was experienced at the IFTM TOP RESA 2019, which was one of the most highlighted items of the Sri Lanka stand, where the crowd enjoyed seeing life like 3D images where one can almost himself present at all the locations which are showcased. 

On offer through the eight films are a helicopter ride over the country, sailing, heritage site visit, Pinnawela open zoo and elephant orphanage, Galle, hill country in bird-eye view, Sigiriya, etc.

“This campaign has been designed to be incredibly immersive and capture what it feels like to be in Sri Lanka and to experience for yourself being on it,” said SLTPB Assistant Director Sasanga Gunathilaka.

Overall, Sri Lanka Tourism gained momentum at the 41st Edition of IFTM TOP RESA Travel Fair, unveiling a fully-fledged marketing strategy for French market and endorsing the events with high level of destination branding and visibility. 

IFTM travel fair and allied events generated many opportunities for promoting Sri Lanka among French travellers. At a juncture where the country is repositioning, a greater contribution is expected from Western European countries including France due to high revenue and high value generated by tourists arriving from Western Europe.