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Monday, 1 September 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Asia Pacific On-board Travel (APOT.Asia), an organisation that brings together tourism and hospitality leaders in the Asia Pacific region, is looking to expand its tourism promotional strategies with the appointment of its new chairman, Nishantha Wickremesinghe, the incumbent chairman of Sri Lanka’s national carrier, SriLankan Airlines.
Wickremesinghe took over duties from the outgoing chairperson, Heather Cho, Senior Vice President of Korean Air, in August this year.
Aimed at collectively inventing and improving new strategies to attract more tourists to the region, APOT.Asia is a global body with a member-base ranging from airline in-flight products and service suppliers, airline caterers, catering product suppliers, airline managements, hospitality partners and media organisations.
“I am honoured to be appointed the Chairman of APOT.Asia, which is an organisation that works extensively towards promoting tourism in the region. This is not a personal achievement or that of the airline alone. This is a collective effort of the entire country that has been, once again, recognised at a global forum. As the national carrier, SriLankan Airlines has been working tirelessly towards making Sri Lanka an aviation hub in Asia as set down in the development goals of the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ Idiri Dekma program, introduced by the visionary leadership of President Manhinda Rajapaksa,” said the Chairman-elect Wickremasinghe.
APOT.Asia has been raising awareness on the region’s tourism potential through educating stakeholders on tourist attractions, business and investment opportunities. It shares, educates and discusses ground-breaking ideas and new tourism trends that can be utilised to increase the number of tourist arrivals.
At the 2014 June Forum in Danang, Vietnam, Wickremasinghe was among the invited speakers. This year, with SriLankan Airlines Chairman at the helm, APOT.Asia is planning to hold its next annual forum in Sri Lanka in 2015 with over 250 delegates in attendance.
Commenting on the event, Wickremasinghe added, “I am confident that the mileage gained out of this could be diverted to further promote the country as an ideal tourist destination that has something in store for any type of traveller and SriLankan Airlines, as the perfect way to get there.”
Wickremasinghe was appointed Chairman of the SriLankan Airlines Group which includes SriLankan Catering, in June 2009 on a mandate to take the airline forward and expand its operations in conjunction with an ambitious tourism development plan, envisaged by the present Government of Sri Lanka.
In the airline world, the Asia Pacific carriers maintain very high standards in in-flight services, a fact which has brought together the industry leaders to strengthen further the relationship among the region’s business partners and associates. Through frequent interactions, the organisation facilitates the promotion of the products, services and the destinations of its associates. The specialty of the APOT.Asia’s forums is that they are held in leisure destinations in a relaxed atmosphere where the products and service providers can showcase their products to a larger audience, consisting, travel agents, sales teams and delegates of the aviation and hospitality industries.
APOT Asia Founder CEO Keerthi Hapugesdeniya said APOT.Asia is a not-for-profit organization and has over 400 members. “The membership in APOT.Asia is on select invitation and we don’t charge for membership,” he said.
“We are confident that Nishantha Wickramasinghe as the new leader will take APOT.Asia to the next level,” Hapugaseniya added.
Some of the members of APOT.Asia include Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Oman Air, Delta, Qantas, Virgin, Lufthansa, British Airways, Airbus, Boeing, Thales, Panasonic, DNATA, Gate Gourmet, LSG Sky Chefs and Alpha Flight Services.
