The 67th Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI)’s three-day annual convention reiterated Sri Lanka as a peaceful, tourist-friendly destination.
Sri Lanka President H E Ranil Wickremesinghe officially inaugurated the TAAI convention at Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), said: “Gathering 600 delegates for the convention brings back faith in Sri Lanka’s Tourism. We are restructuring our debts. Tourism can help in getting back economy. We are an island nation with good beaches and have the scope to develop high-end tourism products like in Maldives.
TAAI convention in Colombo
There are so many natural and heritage attractions in Sri Lanka. Dakshin Kashi and 2000year old Velu Murugan temple at Kataragama are testimony to historical ties between India and Sri Lanka.” H. E. also suggested attractions to look out for, like the Galle Festival in January, Jaffna’s traditional Festival, where thousands of people gather and also some unique experiences like a Russian chef running a Japanese restaurant in Colombo, plantation bungalows, boutique hotels, Sri Lankan cuisine and many more.
573 delegates, including 50 media members, attended TAAI Convention from the 6th to the 9th in Colombo. The event’s business sessions and B2B meets were held at Cinnamon Grand on the 7th and Shangri-La Colombo on the 8th.
Chalaka Gajabahu, Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board (SLTPB), said: “It’s reassuring to have so many delegates descending here on our Island nation that has all attractions of tourism, with only the exception of snow. It had seemed like a challenge when the idea of hosting the event in Colombo came up three months ago. Sri Lanka is on the right path of recovery, and we are developing a 360 campaign to reassure tourists worldwide.”
‘Transcending Borders, Transforming Lives’ was the TAAI Convention theme sponsored by SLTPB and partnered with the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (Slaito).
Jyoti Mayal, President of TAAI, said: “We all go through ups and downs, whether in professional or personal life. Tourism industry becomes vulnerable during a crisis, but it’s also an industry that is resilient and stands for peace. We are happy to extend our domestic market to our neighbouring island of Sri Lanka and help the country bounce back.” Ms Mayal added that previous conventions of TAAI had proven that the host country’s arrivals increase many folds following the event as it gets media coverage followed by members’ selling the destination better after their first-hand experience.
Nishad Wijetunge: “We wanted to change the perception of Sri Lanka worldwide with this event. We have enough food, medicines and everything needed to handle tourists. Inflation came down 14 per cent last month along the road to recovery. Tourism is our country’s second most economic earner, and we welcome tourists to experience the warm hospitality of our people and help rebuild our economy.
This was the fifth TAAI Convention to be held in Sri Lanka. The Island country’s first TAAI Convention was held in the sixties.
Written by: Madhura Katti
.jpg){kind=tracking}
