Twenty-six (26) Sri Lankan travel and tourism companies participated in this year’s IFTM, including leaders in the French market such as Aitken Spence Travels, Jetwing Travels, Connaissance de Ceylan, Andrew The Travel Company, Thema Collection, Walkers Tours Ltd and Lanka Sportreizen, among others. There were also new travel companies which participated in the French travel mart for the first time such as Rosyth Estate House.
The Sri Lanka Pavilion was officially inaugurated by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to France and the Permanent Delegate of Sri Lanka to UNESCO Manisha Gunasekera who was the Chief Guest, and the Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Mr. Chalaka Gajajabahu. Regional Manager, Europe & Americas of Sri Lankan Airlines Chinthaka Weerasinghe, as well as industry leaders and representatives, including senior representatives of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises participated in the opening ceremony, which was followed by the serving of Sri Lankan delicacies and Ceylon tea.
The Ambassador of Sri Lanka in her remarks highlighted the seminal contribution of the travel & tourism industry to Sri Lanka’s economic growth and development. She commended Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism and his dynamic team for showcasing Sri Lanka so well at IFTM with a state-of-the-art Sri Lanka Pavilion. She also congratulated Sri Lankan Tourism as well as the industry leaders present for their abiding commitment to promoting Destination Sri Lanka in France. The Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism in his remarks welcomed the French travel industry to the Sri Lanka Pavilion. He highlighted the resilience, dynamism and upward trajectory of the tourism industry in Sri Lanka and its high potential, and referred to the several mega campaigns in the pipe-line to be operationalised by Sri Lanka Tourism to further consolidate the French market as a top target market.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka also organized a networking dinner reception for the Sri Lankan travel and tourism representatives and the French travel organizations on Tuesday 17 September evening at the Embassy premises. The President of leading French tour operators association Les Entreprises du Voyage Valerie Boned was among those who attended the reception representing the French travel trade.
France is the sixth largest source market and the second largest EU market for Sri Lanka. 67,000 French tourists have visited Sri Lanka from January to August this year, marking a 63 percent increase in tourist arrivals from France in comparison to the same period the previous year. Further upward momentum is envisaged.
IFTM Top Resa is the foremost, most prestigious travel and tourism exposition in France showcasing over 170 destinations and gathering nearly 30,000 industry professionals from the travel and leisure sector annually in Paris. Sri Lanka’s participation at the IFTM was facilitated by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau in partnership with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in France. The Commercial Counsellor of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Paris Gayan Rajapaksa and the Assistant Director, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Viranga Bandara were associated with the event.
