For the first time a Sri Lanka Travel Company, World Travel Centre has opened a dedicated arm to promote both inbound and outbound sports tourism.

“The sports tourism though has tremendous potential is rather neglected in Sri Lanka and we thought to promote it in a professional manner,” said Sudharman De Silva, Chainman, WTC.

He said that they have also created a special dedicated team headed by former Cricketer Basil Jayewardene for this purpose. A former Sri Lankan cricketer himself Jayewardene said that they have been organsing many sports tours in the past 15 years and now decided to create a dedicated arm for it. “We will also be hosting Sri Lanka’s first over 40 international T20 cricket carnivals next January in Colombo involving teams from 5 test playing countries. We are also looking at hosting a similar event for Golfers early next year.” “We are also launching a campaign to create what would be Sri Lanka’s first ‘Barmy Army’ cheering squad with few cricket enthusiast spectators who wish to travel when ever Sri Lanka is going overseas and also playing in Sri Lanka. We will offer them a complete package.”

WTC has been in the tourism industry for more than 25 years, not only catering to tourists arriving from different parts of the Globe to Sri Lanka (inbound) but also tourists from Sri Lanka to different parts of the world (outbound).

Basil Jayewardene head of the Sports Tourism Unit, at World Travel Centre, said that they have contracted with several local sports bodies in cricket, tennis golf, basketball, athletics, football and rugby to promote inbound and outbound sports tourism.

“We have also Susanthika Jayasinghe Sports Academy, former test Captain Bandula Warnapura along with several past sportsmen signed up with us and are mainly looking at promoting altitude training for overseas athletes in hill country through this.” Jayewardene also said that they will also organize foreign training programs for young cricketers, tennis and athletes mainly in London and Australia. “Here again we have a contract with EICA Elite International Cricket Academy in Hampshire UK and Cachet Leisure in UK to offer these training packages in their sports complex. These two sports complexes has their own stadium, track, gym. pool and hostels.” “This service would also be available for coachers and umpires to get a foreign qualification for them.”The WTC will also looking at offering a complete package for any sports team going overseas as well.

WTC is approved by Sri Lanka Tourism as a Destination Management Company and is a member of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and also is an IATA Accredited Travel Agency.

Source : http://dailynews.lk/2017/11/08/business/133767/world-travel-centre-launches-dedicated-sports-tourism-arm