SL plans promotion activities overseas to revive tourism

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, among the worst hit by Covid-19 in the South Asian country, has planned to undertake promotion activities at international travel and tourism trade shows, local media reported.

The trade shows of interest to Sri Lanka are scheduled to be held in France, the UK and Germany this year, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The three trade shows we are planning to participate in, which follow a year-long break following the onset of the Covid pandemic, significantly impact tourist destinations globally,” Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairperson Kimarli Fernando was quoted by the local Daily FT newspaper as saying on Wednesday.

“We hope that Sri Lanka will be able to participate in all of them to help revive the industry,” Fernando added.

Around 200 destinations, 1,700 brands, 34,000 tourism professionals and 150 conference sessions have been lined up for this year’s International French Travel Market (IFTM) Top Resa to be held in Paris.

Fernando said that France was one of the first countries to permit travels to Sri Lanka in early August, adding that she hopes French travellers will return to their “favourite tropical destination” this winter.

The tourism authority head of Sri Lanka said they are also considering attending the similar events in the UK and Germany, aiming to attract more travellers from Europe, which is at present the largest source of visitors to Sri Lanka.

Since the re-opening its borders in January, Sri Lanka has recorded 24,337 tourist arrivals in the first eight months of this year.

According to official figures, tourist arrivals in August sharply increased by 107 per cent to 5,040 from July, despite the ongoing third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.