Sri Lanka Targets United Arab Emirates With Tourism Promotion Mission

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has successfully concluded a three-day promotional mission to the United Arab Emirates as part of its on-going efforts to develop new markets and increase the number of visitors and spend from the region to Sri Lanka. Headed by Ms. Madubhani Perera, Director/Marketing, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, a delegation of thirty-three partners from Sri Lanka’s tourism and hospitality industries visited Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and held the roadshow at Radisson Blu Sharjah, Le Royale Meridien Abu Dhabi and Crowne Plaza Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai last April 17, 18 and 19, 2018, holding one to one meetings and informational seminars with leading travel agency representatives and outbound operators in each city.

Ms. Madubhani Perera, Director/Marketing, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, commented, “The mission has been a resounding success, with excellent attendance with the right partners in each of the cities visited, and our co-participating Sri Lankan industry partners reporting highly productive meetings that will result in increased business and travel to Sri Lanka from the region.”

In 2017, Sri Lanka received a total of 78,873 tourists from the Middle East region with UAE as one of the fastest growing tourism market from the region with a total of 7,136 visitors. Currently there are 70 direct flight services a week connecting UAE to Sri Lanka suggesting the potential to grow and develop the market further is great, especially as travellers from the country on average have one of the highest travel spends in the world. This will result in not only return dividends for Sri Lanka’s tourism and hospitality industries, but also for the retail industry.

Perera added, “Sri Lanka has much to offer visitors from UAE with our distinctive, adventure-packed, eco-friendly, family-focused experiences and offerings, as well as our rich nature, heritage and culture, year-round schedule of festivals and special events, numerous parks and eco-centers, luxury resorts and wellness centres, and romantic settings for honeymooners and couples. Our mission has done much to put Sri Lanka on the map and in the hearts and minds of UAE-based travel partners, and in combination with future promotions planned for the country and the region, I’m confident we will see many more visitors from UAE making Sri Lanka their next holiday destination of choice in the coming months.”