Strengthening cultural and religious ties with Thailand

Sri Lanka Tourism showcased its cultural prestige and extended friendship further with its splendid participation at the TITF Travel Fair held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Bangkok, which attracted a large crowd including media personnel from 15-19 February. 

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Thailand gave its support in this process. The beauty and the various benefits which the paradise island had to offer astonished the Thai citizens. The Sri Lankan stand showcased its glamorous cultural beauty gifted with nature’s wonders, such as the exiting wildlife, exquisite beaches, beautiful festivals and pageants, fantastic landscapes filled with lush greenery, and the delicious aroma of Sri Lankan cuisine, and the soothing feeling of the luxurious spas.

The Sri Lankan stall had its own identity which attracted the visitors with its colorful and eye-catching display. The purpose of this visit was to increase consumer awareness in Thailand, Sri Lanka as best tourist destination and increasing tourist arrivals from Sri Lanka. 

The Sri Lankan Pavilion was declared open under the patronage of the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand, Kshenushka Senevirathne by lighting the traditional oil lamp amidst a distinguished audience.  SriLankan Airlines Country Manager in Thailand Jayantha Abeysinghe was also present at the occasion. 

Brochures were distributed at the pavilion to give the Thai visitors who came to the pavilion a clear idea of the amazing experience they can get by visiting Sri Lanka. As some travellers are into adventure, they can have the experience of their choice by climbing Adam’s Peak, Sigiriya and Dambulla Rock Temple, whale and dolphin watching in Mirissa. No holiday experience without the ancient sights, cities and monuments will be complete – therefore they will also enjoy visiting Kandy, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Solosmasthana.

Since Thailand is also a Theravada Buddhist country and shares similar cultural aspects, Thai tourists will subsequently prefer to visit the Buddhist sites. 

When Buddhist literature was destroyed by invaders in Sri Lanka, Thailand assisted us to re-establish Buddhism with higher ordination of the monks.

TITF, which is regarded as Thailand’s largest outbound fair, was organised by the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) and supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. With over 400 booths from Thai and foreign governments and private travel agencies, the fair has attracted more than 800,000 visitors, continuing to be a major event in the Thai tourism calendar. 

There were several positive results which came out from the TITF. Sri Lanka was able to make business contacts with Thai counterparts. The participation of SriLankan Airlines too created much interest among Thai visitors, resulting in inquiries to make flight bookings for the next vacation. 

Thailand is an important market for Sri Lanka since there is a possibility of attracting a large number of tourists, where outbound tourism is five million. The convenience of the distance is another advantage which Thailand has in making direct flights to Sri Lanka.  It will create an opportunity for the visitors to arrive within a short time. Therefore, it is a great opportunity to showcase Sri Lanka as a global tourism destination for the Thai market and increase awareness of its many cultural and natural aspects.