June 18, Colombo: Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and Air India signed up a joint promotion to target the top end of Delhi outbound traveler into Sri Lanka, SLTPB announced in a statement.
According to SLTPB, Indian tourist arrivals recorded a 38.2% growth in May and a cumulative growth of 26.8% with 119,593 arrivals as at end May.
Sri Lanka and India have a strong trading partnerships and the trade between the two countries has crossed US$ 4 billion even though the trade balance is in favor of India, Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Rohantha Athukorala said.
“With the partnership of Air India and Sri Lanka Tourism we want to tap into the segment of ‘trade tourism’ where the premier class customers of Air India can be reached,” said Athukorala.
The promotion will include special airfares on business class, value upgrades on top end boutique hotels in Sri Lanka while Sri Lanka Tourism will have access to the elite customers of Air India who can create awareness of the changing dynamics of the Sri Lankan product range said Athukorala.
“Once the promise we sell is understood, attracting a quality customer will naturally happen,” asserted Athukorala.
The Executive Director Marketing for Air India Pankaj Kumar said the partnership is mutually beneficial as strengths of both entities can be synergized while giving access to Sri Lankan travelers to any part of India due to strong connectivity of Air India.
“We heard about the Ramayana Road show that Sri Lanka Tourism is staging next month in India and also the participation of Sri Lanka Tourism at the two large Travel and Tourism fairs of IITM Bangalore and OTM Hyderabad in the month of July and August which Air India will also support,” he said.
Sri Lanka Tourism is injecting Rs. 240 million in 2015 to target 335,000 tourist arrivals from India, Athukorala said.
Source : http://www.colombopage.com/archive_15B/Jun18_1434597781CH.php
Sri Lanka Travel Feneteko