TravTalk India Online Magazine
Sri Lanka is known for its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. SriLankan Airlines recently hosted a Fam trip for a group of Indian partners to promote the island nation and its premier destinations among Indian travellers. The destination also showcased its potential to host MICE, weddings and corporate events.
Surbhi Sharma
SriLankan Airlines, in association with Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and Walkers Tours, hosted a familiarisation (Fam) trip for its Indian partners to showcase Sri Lanka’s natural beauty and capability to host MICE, weddings and corporate events and promote the country as a preferred destination among the Indian travellers. The trip was meticulously designed to give the industry professionals first-hand experience of the premium services and seamless connectivity that the airline offers.
Sri Lanka a perfect gateway
Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive Officer, SriLankan Airlines, put special emphasis on Indians travellers opting Sri Lanka as a leisure destination. “In the last five months, SriLankan Airlines served close to 70,000 Indian passengers with the majority from Chennai. Traditionally, Indians have found Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Bentota, and Galle as the most preferred destinations. However, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Ella, Trincomalee, Jaffna, and Yala are also emerging as hot favourites among them,” he said.
The itinerary was thoughtfully curated to showcase the rich cultural heritage and modern amenities that Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts offers, making it an ideal place to host weddings, corporate meetings and leisure travellers. Participants explored the leisure and MICE facilities at various properties of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, such as Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo, Cinnamon Bentota Beach, Cinnamon Lodge Habarana, Habarana Village by Cinnamon and Trinco Blu by Cinnamon spread across the country. The travelling group got the chance to visit different places of tourist interests and enjoyed bird watching at Beddagana Wetland Park, an elephant safari at Eco Park, Dambulla Cave Temple, Galle Fort, mangrove boat ride and water sports at Cinnamon Bentota Beach.
MICE potential of Sri Lanka
SriLankan Airlines made special efforts to make the trip comfortable and showcased exotic locations, such as beautiful beaches, landscapes, and historical sites for weddings and corporate events. “Indians are increasingly choosing the island nation for MICE and weddings,” Nuttall said. He highlighted that the national carrier flies to nine Indian cities and can accommodate MICE events from multiple source cities.
Packages to boost tourism
He said, “We provide exclusive airfare packages and specialised services, including airport facilitation and onboard amenities for big MICE and corporate groups. To make their journey hassle-free, we promote online check-in and have introduced self-check-in kiosks, and a bag drop facility at Bandaranaike International Airport.”
Initiatives for travel trade
Responding to the question on how the airline has been engaging with the travel trade for business, he said, “We launched the NDC platform in India, giving agents access to discounted fares, free date changes and incentives on flown segments. We also run periodic promotions, webinars and Fam tours for agents.”
Sustainability efforts
Educating the media about Sri Lanka’s sustainable practices, the CEO said, “Presently, we are pursuing electric ground support equipment and collaborating closely with the airport operator to digitalise processes at Bandaranaike International Airport that contribute to inbound tourism.”
