Belgium relaxes travel advisory

Belgian tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka have increased by 108.2 percent in the first 11 months of 2010 over that of the previous year, compared to a Western European average of 50.5 percent and an overall increase of 45.7 per cent in the corresponding period, Sri Lanka embassy in Belgium said.

The increase in tourist arrivals from Belgium in the month of November over that of November 2009, was a staggering 290.5 percent.

This month Belgium also relaxed its travel advisory deleting a reference in its September 2010 travel advisory which stated “given the security situation, all travelling to North and East of Sri Lanka not recommended”.

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU Ravinatha Aryasinha addresses journalists in Brussels

The impact of these developments were demonstrated from the attention Sri Lanka received at the 2010 Brussels Travel Expo (BT Expo) which was held in Brussels this month. BT Expo, the largest business to business tourism promotional event in the Belgium calendar was attended by more than 250 exhibitors. The event dedicated to the travel industry in Europe, attracted upto 4000 trade visitors including leading professionals from destination management companies, hotels and convention bureaus, as well as leading travel and business journalists.

Addressing over 50 journalists at a media event titled ‘Sri Lanka - Back in Business’, held at the centre of the BT Expo pavilion, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU Ravinatha Aryasinha said, “In less than one year since Sri Lanka got back on the Belgian travel catalogues and only a month since a direct weekly flight was launched, Belgium was clearly accelerating to where it left off in Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals table, prior to terrorism affecting the country”. He said the representatives from over 40 Belgian companies who visited Sri Lanka in November, some of who were present on the occasion to share their experiences, would testify to the fact that the country is back in business, and in no sector was it more visible than in the tourism sector.

Noting that traditionally Belgian visitors to Sri Lanka were also high spenders and demanded quality, the Ambassador assured that the rejuvenated travel sector in Sri Lanka is well geared to meet their demands.

Second Secretary (Political) Madhuka Wickramarachchi, who is also responsible for the tourism coordination work of the Embassy, outlined Sri Lanka Tourism’s new branding strategy for 2011 and future prospects in the tourism sector both for visits as well as for investment. Secretary (Economic and Commercial) R.D.S. Kumararatne briefed the audience on the Embassy’s overall economic promotion plan for 2011, including a multi-faceted Sri Lanka Business Week in May.

Hony. Director for Sri Lanka Tourism in Belgium Robrecht Willart hosted the event.