Crowds throng Sri Lanka's stall at the Busan International Travel Fair

BITF: Over 15 Asian nations participate

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Korea with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau participated in Korea's second largest tourism fair, the 17th Busan International Travel Fair (BITF). The event was held in Busan, the second largest city in Korea recently.

Representatives of major tourist destinations in Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, China and Japan were present.

The fair also attracted a number of international and national tourism organisations, including 119 local and 125 foreign exhibitors representing 44 countries, 16 of which were Asian nations.

Over 100,000 people visited the fair which provided a prime opportunity for the Sri Lankan Embassy to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination for Koreans.

Sri Lanka's booth showcased major tourism themes through visual displays that captured the culture, heritage and scenic beauty of the island.

Posters, brochures, guide books, and other promotional materials, also in Korean, were available for visitors to view and read.

Complimentary cups of Ceylon tea were served to visitors, which gave them a unique chance to savour the rich flavours of pure Ceylon Tea. As a result, the booth earned high praise from visitors, winning the Best Tourism Publicity Award from BITF - KOTFA.

During 2012, Korean tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka increased dramatically by 48% in comparison to the previous year.

In 2013, direct flights by Korean Air between Colombo and Seoul along with tourism promotional opportunities, like the BITF, were set up. During BITF, Aitken Spence Travels engaged in bilateral discussions with Korean tour operators to set up commercial links.

With these combined efforts and opportunities to showcase Sri Lanka as a prime tourism destination, Sri Lanka hopes to continue to enjoy a growth in the tourism sector and spread its culture and heritage to the world.