The first-ever Sri Lanka-specific office by Destination Management Company (DMC) was opened in Ahmedabad on Saturday to woo more visitors from the Indian state of Gujarat.
Tourism Minister Harin Fernando and Sri Lanka Tourism Brand Ambassador and iconic cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya opened the office set up by DMC Expert Hospitality in Ahmedabad, the most populous city in the Gujarat state.
“Tourists from Gujarat are the most travelled in India and there wasn’t a dedicated office. Expert Hospitality was one of the first DMCs to come forward to open the office,” Fernando said via a tweet on Saturday following the opening.
Last month, Minister Fernando first revealed plans of venturing into Gujarat, adding that the State has three million people travelling each year and are considered to be high spenders as well.
Earlier this month, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu confirmed to the Daily FT that the long-awaited tourism roadshows in India will kick off next month targeting three main cities – Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad.
As per Sri Lanka Development Authority (SLTDA) provisional data, India continues to stand strong as the top tourist source market for Sri Lanka with the cumulative number of arrivals at 77,219 year-to-date, followed by the UK with 63,070, Russia with 49,140, Germany with 38,900, and France 27,312.
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