TravTalk India Online Magazine
Indians are increasingly opting for Sri Lanka as a destination for MICE events and weddings, claims Richard Nuttall, CEO, SriLankan Airlines. In an exclusive interview, he highlighted that the airline served close to 70,000 Indian passengers in the last five months with the majority originating from Chennai and are working closely with the travel trade to boost the business further.
Surbhi Sharma
SriLankan Airlines recently hosted a Fam trip for Indians to showcase the beauty and cultural heritage of Sri Lanka and give a taste of the authentic Sri Lankan food, including dishes made with fresh and locally sourced ingredients. The meticulously designed itinerary paid attention to the smallest details.
Richard Nuttall, CEO, SriLankan Airlines, talking about the airline’s potential to organise MICE trips and weddings, explained how they are accommodating large family groups coming to organise weddings in Sri Lanka, offering special packages for big MICE and corporate groups, engaging with the travel trade for business, and the steps they are taking for sustainability.
Destinations for Indians
Highlighting that the airline served close to 70,000 Indian passengers in the last five months with the majority originating from Chennai, Richard said that the most preferred Sri Lankan destinations among Indian travellers are Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Bentota, and Galle, while emerging favourites include Sigiriya, Dambulla, Ella, Trincomalee, Jaffna, and Yala.
Perfect for MICE & wedding
Emphasising that Indians are increasingly opting for Sri Lanka as a destination for MICE events and weddings, Richard said, “We promote SriLankan Airlines for both these segments through special airfares and other promotions in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB). The country has beautiful beaches, landscapes, and historical sites, offering attractive setting for weddings and corporate events. We have modern hotels, resorts, and conference facilities to accommodate large gatherings.”
MICE & corporate package
Talking about special packages for big groups, Ricard said, “We provide exclusive airfare packages and specialised services, including airport facilitation and onboard amenities for groups, and SriLankan Airlines is recognised as a premier provider of MICE services. We promote online check-in and have introduced self-check-in kiosks, and a bag drop facility for our passengers’ convenience at the Bandaranaike International Airport.”
Efforts for travel trade
Responding to the question on how the airline is engaging with the travel trade for business, Richard said, “We launched the New Distribution Capability (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 initiatives
Informing about sustainable practices at SriLankan Airlines, he said that they are taking multiplle initiatives. “Presently, we are pursuing electric ground services equipment and collaborating closely with the
airport operator to digitalise processes at Bandaranaike International Airport that contribute to inbound tourism,” he said.
Goals & expansion plans
Richard said, “This year, we want to increase the current flight frequencies between India and Sri Lanka and lay the foundation to expand our capacity next year with fleet additions.”
He added that their current plan aims to gradually increase frequencies to existing destinations in India over the coming months. “We have new cities in our medium-term plans. Our main challenge is to get access to sufficient fleet and engines. With increased capacity, we will expand our flight operations,” he said.
