Denesh Silva re-elected as PATA Sri Lanka Chapter Chairman

Standing from left: Pan Lanka Travels & Tours Director Ratten Abdulhussein; SLTDA Strategy Delivery Consultant Rashmini Mather; Hamoos Travels Operations Head Mahesh Wanigasekara; Aitken Spence Travels Assistant Vice President Anil Hapugoda; Jetwing Hotels Operations Manager Dimitri Cooray; Viluxur Holidays Director Cammy Gunasekera; Silver Line Tours Managing Director Shamali De Vaz; SLCB Marketing and Promotions Manager Chamila Malkanthi; PATA Sri Lanka Chapter Secretary Ishara Sooriyaarachchi

Seated from left: Travelserv Director Sega Nagendra; Tallman Tours Managing Director Zahara Cader; Mahaweli Reach Hotel Operations Manager Asitha Panabokke (Vice Chairman); The Kingsbury Colombo and Amaya Leisure Director Denesh Silva (Chairman); World Avenues Executive Director Muaiyyed Idroos (Vice Chairman); Hussain Jayah (Imme. Past Chairman); Jetwing Hotels Managing Director Ruan Samarasinghe 

The Annual General Meeting of the PATA Sri Lanka Chapter was held on 2 August at the Winchester Hall, Kingsbury Colombo. 

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Managing Director Sutheash Balasubramaniam attended the AGM as the Chief Guest.

The Sri Lanka Chapter enables its members to conduct their various assigned responsibilities for selling travel related products and providing services to visitors to the island in a more effective manner. The key aim is to promote Sri Lanka as a PATA destination, under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

The Kingsbury Colombo and Amaya Leisure PLC Director Denesh Silva was re-elected as Chairman for the year 2018/2019.

World Avenues Ltd. Executive Director Muaiyyed Idroos, and Mahaweli Reach Hotel Operations Manager Asitha Panabokke were elected as Joint Vice Chairmen. 

At the meeting, the elected Chairman highlighted on enhancing the Chapter’s presence in the digital platform through its website and Facebook page. The members will be given an opportunity to publicise their own events on the website and the FB page. 

The following Committee members were elected to the Committee of the PATA Sri Lanka Chapter: Aitken Spence Travels Ltd. Assistant Vice President Anil Hapugoda; Hamoos Travels Ltd. Operations Head Mahesh Wanigasekara; Jetwing Hotels Ltd. Operations Manager Dimitri Cooray; Tallman Tours Ltd. Managing Director Zahara Cader; and Viluxur Holidays Director Cammy Gunasekera. 

The following Board of Advisors were invited to the PATA Sri Lanka Chapter Committee: Jetwing Hotels Ltd. Managing Director Ruan Samarasinghe; Mahaweli Reach Hotels Ltd. Managing Director Jayantha Panabokke; Pan Lanka Travels & Tours Ltd. Director Ratten Abdulhussein; Silver Line Tours Ltd. Managing Director Shamali De Vaz; and Travel On Ltd. Director Sega Nagendra. Hussain Jayah will join the committee in his capacity as the Immediate Past Chairman.

Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) Research, Development and Training Manager Chamila Malkanthi, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Strategy Delivery Consultant Rashmini Mather, and SriLankan Airlines Network Engineering and Development Manager Panduka Weerathna will be joining in an ex-officio capacity.

The Membership of the Chapter consists of 66 local members, comprising travel agents, tour operators, sightseeing operators, ground/water transportation operators and hoteliers whose businesses are situated within the geographical area of Sri Lanka.