A series of new promotional techniques would be used to woo one million visitors to Sri Lanka for the ‘Visit Lanka 2011’ program.
Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau, Director General Dillip Mudadeniya speaking to Daily News Business after the closing of the four day World Tourism Market said that they would be targeting airline crews all over the world.
“Airline staff all over the world gets free tickets to travel to any destination and we want to promote S
ri Lanka to them for their vacation,” he said. “There are over four million airline staff in the world who receive over eight million free tickets per year to travel to any destination.“We hope to work with SriLankan airlines in this promotion,” he said.
Mudadeniya said that they are looking at the option to offer one free night for this special airline staff package as a value addition to attract them to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Tourism would also launch special programs with international travel agents, tour operators and especially with the media by offering them Familiarization (FAM) tours.
Sri Lanka Tourism also hopes to have a special post-war marketing campaign.
On the participation of the WTM he said that this was Sri Lanka’s biggest delegation for the WTM as the companies want to market themselves exploiting the end of the war.
“WTM is the second largest global tourism global gathering and it opens doors not only for the British sector but to over 200 countries that participate in the event and participation of the event is an investment for the future,” he said.
Minister of Tourism Promotion, Faiszer Mustapha said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was keen on the promotion of tourism SME sector and the Ministry offered to bear 90 percent of the cost of the participating SMEs.
Palace Hotel Negombo, Director Marion Fernadopulle said that they are participating in the event for the first time and they are doing so since they had to pay only 10 percent of the cost.
“We must thank the Government for this move as the hotel has now got invaluable international exposure,” he said.
Image: Dillip Mudadeniya with Hiran Cooray at the WTM. Picture by Shirajiv Sirimane
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