Indian travel agents tour Sri Lanka

India's top travel and tour agents Thomas Cook, Travel, TUI, Cox N Kings, Make My Trip and Akbar Holidays were among others that visited Sri Lanka recently to understand what the island destination has to offer. Leading tour agents from India such as Thomas Cook, Travel, Cox N Kings, TUI, Make My Trip, Akbar Holidays and many other renowned travel agencies participated in the tour, a media release issued by the state news website stated.

Organised by the national carrier SriLankan Airlines together with the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau the familiarization tour comprised 65 MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) agents and media personnel from Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai.

The tour, held from October 28 to November 2, enabled the group to view Sri Lanka as a paradise isle and understand the MICE facilities available in the country, the release said.

Visits were organised to the ancient kingdom of Kandy, national heritage sites and artifacts in Dambulla and the beaches of Beruwala in addition to a trip to the elephant or- phanage in Pinnawala and the capital city of Colombo, the release said. SriLankan Airlines Head of Worldwide Sales Lal Perera said, "the relations between Sri Lanka and India are ancient and it is vital to strengthen the bonding by bringing a success to MICE tourism in Sri Lanka since our island's economy is continued to develop fast in the post war condition". At a function organised for the delegates in Colombo, the General Manager of the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, Vipula Wanigasekera said, "India is our primary market and we will continue to promote this market bearing in mind the increasing overall outbound MICE travel from India. We are confident that the corporates and tour operators in India will look at Sri Lanka as a value destination," the statement read.

SriLankan Airlines' successful effort to co-host the tour was a part of its overall strategy to project Sri Lanka as a premier MICE destination to the Indian market as well as to position the island as a popular destination for business events in the South Asian region, the release also said.