India a prime source market for Lankan MICE industry

In its first ever joint initiative, the Sri Lanka Tourist Board together with the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau and SriLankan Airlines launched its aggressive campaign targeting the middle segment, high yielding corporate and conference travellers from India.

Commencing its road show in the cities of Delhi and Mumbai on November 28, Chairman, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, Haniffa Ishak led the Sri Lankan delegation comprising PCOs, DMCs and Hoteliers for interactive B2B (business to business) session. Offering lucrative incentives and promotional support to the existing Indian MICE operators, the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau proposed the creation of new distribution network in the Indian Market favouring MICE movement out of India.

The promotions were held in Hotel Shangrila and Hilton in Delhi and Mumbai where the Sri Lanka Tourist Board, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau and SriLankan Airlines made presentations prior to interactive sessions. The presentations covered promotion of destination, MICE potential and facilities and Air access by the respective authorities.

The destination close proximity with India, good air-connectivity from all key Indian metros and increasing trade and investment relations are some of the multifarious factors benefiting Sri Lanka's MICE industry.

The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau aims to focus on widening the distribution network in tier II Indian cities with region wise customised products offerings to further boost MICE movement from these cities.

As a destination Sri Lanka is increasingly looking at developing beyond Colombo tourism products for the Indian travellers. Today the Sri Lanka Tourist Board aims to position Sri Lanka as more than a family holiday destination by highlighting diverse tourism rejuvenation and safaris for the upwardly mobile Indian travellers and Colombo as the happening city of South Asia.

Commenting on the Indian market, Chairman SLTB Udaya Nanayakkara said, "India today is the leading producer of tourism to Sri Lanka with 110,453 arrivals, till October 2006, accounting for a 19.8% increase as compared to last year's figures. For the year 2006, Sri Lanka is hopeful of achieving more than half a million tourists for the fourth consecutive year from the world over. With over 14,000 hotel rooms available in Sri Lanka, along with state-of-the-art amenities for conferences, conventions and exhibitions, Sri Lanka is the MICE destination to be, catering to specific requirements and customised itineraries.