World Travel Centre rolls out coach tours to promote tourism

By Cheranka Mendis

 World Travel Centre yesterday introduced the unique ‘Seat-in-Coach tours’ or ‘Scheduled Coach Tours,’ a series of regular functioning scheduled tours which will facilitate greater connectivity to travellers while promoting Sri Lanka’s key attractions.

With an initial investment of Rs. 5 million exclusive of the coaches, World Travel Centre is confident that the service is a timely one which can reap benefits of the high growing tourism market.

World Travel Centre CEO Sudharma De Silva projecting one million tourists in 2012 stated that the customised, fixed program running on a pre-scheduled itinerary on a fixed price is the latest addition to the Lankan portfolio of new products for the industry.

Tourism Development Authority Acting Director General Vipula Wanigasekara stated the local tourism sector had just passed the transition period to enter the new era where the industry is now moving beyond traditional package tours.

The scheduled coach tours therefore will offer varied choices for travellers who could pick and chose programs that could fit in with their plans.

“We will have to reach for the tourists who spend a long time in Sri Lanka who are also high spenders. To attract them, they need to be given an opportunity to plan their own tours,” Wanigasekara said. The new program would give just that, he asserted. “Such introductions are conducive for development plans for the industry. We will extend our fullest cooperation towards this project.”

De Silva added that while the move is a good one, even with all the risks involved, more companies will come forward with much more innovative and diverse concepts. “The industry is growing and we need different products to decorate the industry more because we need to have much more products in our portfolio.”

De Silva stated that the Scheduled Coach Tours are cost effective, allows last minute booking according to availability and will work on time. The project is also environmentally friendly since it encourages group travel and helps reduce the carbon foot print. “It is cost effective in the sense; the tour is US$ 100 cheaper than private tours of three to four days.” One day Kandy tour which would run on a daily basis is US$ 25 per person, while one day tour to Kithulgala which departs every Sunday is US$20 while one day trip to Galle leaving every Saturday is US$254. There are coach tours also scheduled to Jaffna on three nights for day basis for US$ 145 per person, Kandy three night four day tour for US$ 149, misty hills and sandy beaches tour of four nights and five days for US$ 199, cultural tour of five nights and six days for US$ 269, and classical tour for six days and seven nights for US$339.

He stated that with Sri Lanka’s competitor destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, India and Singapore operating programs of the same calibre, the move to form one in Sri Lanka is a timely one. All tours that cross the one day mark will be provided accommodation at three star hotels which is inclusive in the set prices. He stated that demand so far has been good and that there have been requests from countries such as Africa as well.