The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) conducted MICE promotion in Mumbai and Pune to encourage more Indian travellers to visit the country
The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) organised a MICE promotion in Mumbai and Pune in collaboration with Sri Lanka Consulate General. Several MICE professionals attended the event as well as interacted with the SLCB team that consists of 15 companies from Sri Lanka. The meet aimed to understand the unique offerings for Indian travellers in Sri Lanka.
In 2018, there have been 63,733 MICE arrivals in Sri Lanka as compared to 57,694 in 2017 and 53,510 in 2016. The year, 2018 saw a rapid increase with approximately 4,24,887 Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka, as compared to 3,84,628 arrivals in 2017 and 3,56,729 in 2016.
The country is a top-notch tourist destination and is known as ‘Wonder of Asia’ for its long-preserved culture and heritage. Witnessing the growth and potential from India, SLCB has taken a step forward in consolidating their presence in the Indian market. The following initiatives were taken by Sri Lanka to attract MICE travelers from India:
- Lotus Tower or the State of the Art tower has been made operational. It is the tallest tower in South East Asia and houses a conference facility for 1,000 people.
- Strengthening cooperation with large tour operators such as Thomas Cook, SOTC, Travel & Tours, and FCM, which have large network of corporate working with them.
- The Ramayana trail, in which the most popular sites in Sri Lanka linked to the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana, have been developed with proper infrastructure facilities and a brochure with its details has been printed.
- A number of wedding planners are being facilitated to visit Sri Lanka to make them aware of how the country could be a great location for those looking to tie the knot.
- Initiatives have been taken to ensure minimum hotel rates to facilitate more MICE visitors.
- Simplifying of the visa on arrival procedure for Indian travellers.
Chamari Rodrigo, Consul General, Consulate General of Sri Lanka, Mumbai, who was present and leading the events, stated, “Sri Lanka has been gaining immense popularity in India and has experienced a consistent growth over the period.” She further added that the cultural and regional similarities between India and Sri Lanka make it easy for tourism to flourish in the country.
Adding to this Malkanthi Welikala, manager marketing, SLCB, says, “We have been extending our presence and commitment to the Indian markets like Mumbai and Pune. With an extensive direct airline connectivity of 121 flights per week from 11 airports in India to Sri Lanka and further, Sri Lanka becomes an easily accessible destination for MICE from India. The network has been complemented by SpiceJet, Indigo, Air India and Vistara. We not only want to encourage Indian travellers to holiday in Sri Lanka but also develop a stronger cultural bond and cooperation between the two nations, which makes Indian visitors feel at home in Sri Lanka.”