Sri Lanka Tourism successfully conducts campaign to woo South Indians

Sri Lankan delegation with Indian travel agents and tour operators who participated at the event 

Minister Interacting with Travel Trade in Chennai

Minister interacting with Indian media

• Conducts interactive session with 100 travel trade agents, media
• Banks on Ramayana Trail to attract more travellers
• Hopeful of resumption of ferry service from Rameshwaram by end of 2019
• Minister Amaratunga says Sri Lanka will concentrate more on Indian market
  
   

By Charumini de Silva

Sri Lanka Tourism has successfully conducted another special campaign focusing on outbound travel agents and tour operators in Southern India last week.

The two-day special promotion was spearheaded by Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga along with Senior Advisor to Minister Felix Rodrigo, Sri Lanka High Deputy High Commission in Chennai Minister Commercial Yasantha De Silva, SriLankan Airlines Manager – Tamil Nadu and Karnataka S.P.Mohan, and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Assistant Director Viranga Bandara.

Part of this special initiative was also to engage with the Indian media personnel from both print and media.

“We had a successful launch of our special promotional package in Chennai and Kochi to encourage South Indian travel trade. We also met with over 100 media personnel and a similar number of Indian travel agents and tour operators in two batches. Sri Lanka Tourism is hopeful that this campaign will bring us good results,” Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga told Daily FT. 

A Sri Lankan Minister visited the Southern capital of India after many years to promote the country as many politicians feared to visit Tamil Nadu.

“Through this campaign our intention was to emphasise Sri Lanka is safe. We have now introduced free visa on arrival, reduced ground handling charges to encourage airlines to increase frequencies, to encourage Ramayana Trail, resume ferry service and to promote special package by Sri Lanka’s hotel and airline industry,” the Minister said.

Manavari temple, Ravan cave, Ashok Vatika, Seetha Amman temple, Divurumpola, Ussangoda, Thiru Koneswaram temple and Kathirkamam are part of the Ramayana circuit in Sri Lanka.

The Minister also said Sri Lanka Tourism would concentrate on India more than any other market.

In terms of the resumption of the ferry service Amaratunga said the Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission in Delhi had taken up with Indian authorities to resume the ferry service connecting Talaimannar pier in north of Sri Lanka and Rameshwaram in South India.

“I visited the Talaimannar pier twice to see the facilities there. Now the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has to give the green light. It will make very inexpensive for tourists to reach Sri Lanka. It will also save time and cost for trade. The ferry service is expected to be launched by the end of this year after finalising procedures with the Indian Government,” he said.

The Minister said Sri Lanka was also opening Jaffna for tourists.

Emphasising Sri Lanka today had the highest number of concessions for its guests, the Minister said new policies were being introduced as a part of larger plan to revive the tourism industry.

Amaratunga has also called on Indian media to fully support the efforts of the Sri Lanka Tourism with the key stakeholders of the industry and commended for their extended support in the past which has been instrumental in making India the number one source market.

According to statistics, India is Sri Lanka’s largest tourism market which accounted for 18.2% to 424,887 arrivals last year, an increase of 10.5% from a year earlier.

Sri Lanka Tourism in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and SriLankan Airlines offers a total of 15 packages with minimum package starting from $ 180 per person and the industry is targeting 32 flights per week from 11 destinations in India to Sri Lanka with an average of 150 passengers per day. The offer is up and running from 10 June till 30 November and is available for reservations through the network of travel agents in India.

In addition, national carrier SriLankan Airlines has rolled out a comprehensive package which includes air fare, hotel accommodation on B&B basis, transport as specified in the itinerary and the service fee of the tour operator.

MasterCard which has over 180 million cardholders in India as come on board to promote these packages through its well-connected channels.

The roadshow was organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (FICCI) along with SLTPB and Spice Land Holidays Group.