SLTPB tie-up with airlines on joint promos

Tourism promotion officials are in talks with airlines aimed at attracting more travellers while working jointly with tour operators.

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau ( SLTPB) Managing Director Sutheash Balasubramaniam said that currently they were looking at a new kind of promotion similar to that with MasterCard where they would work together with airlines and tour operators.

Right now officials were in the process of engaging the industry to evolve a policy that would be transparent to work jointly with tour operators and airlines and help with the multinational companies to bring in the numbers, he explained. This new policy would be drafted within about two months, he said.

While seeking opportunities in this regard with national carriers of the key markets the industry would be also looking at options available with other carriers to bring in tourists from other destinations as well, he said.

The MD explained that these promotions would become a win-win solution for both the industry and the airlines as it would ensure that high profile visitors could be attracted in addition to social media influencers.

“Some of the airlines are very strong in their countries and in turn it helps the airlines to bring in more traffic by either filling up their aircraft or even increasing their frequency,” Mr. Balasubramaniam said.

At present officials are in talks with carriers like Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Condor and some of the West Asian air lines.

He noted that other carriers would want to engage in partnerships with Sri Lanka Tourism when word gets out that the destination is looking to partner airlines and it would create an interest among airlines to come in.( SD)