HI-AIM 2019 in SL to promote MICE tourism

From left: Sri Lanka Convention Bureau SLCB Chairman Kumar De Silva, Hi Aim Conference Director and Co-Founder Anil Kumar Sharma, SLCB General Manager Inoshini Perera and Hilton Colombo Marketing Communications Manager Gigi De Silva

By Divya Thotawatte 

In a bid to promote MICE tourism in the country HI-AIM (Hospitality Industry-Architecture, Interiors and Management) has organised its eighth conference to be held in Sri Lanka this year. 

“This is a green conference and it is special because of the advantages it’ll have for the hospitality and the tourism industry. It is also a knowledge sharing endeavour. In the tourism industry, especially taking global tourism trends into account, we need to be up in the curve by embracing sustainable ways of doing things,” Sri Lanka Convention Bureau General Manager Inoshini Perera said. 

HI-AIM is a technical knowledge sharing platform and promotes information and dialogue to find ways and means to help and to promote sustainable practices in the design, construction, equipment technology, and operations of hotels while exchanging ideas on key issues and emerging trends and sharing best practices in the hospitality industry.

HI-AIM Conference 2019 which will be held on 14 and 15 February at The Hilton Colombo promoting MICE tourism in Sri Lanka, will be joined by 200 participants from India. Sri Lanka Convention Bureau Chairman Kumar de Silva said that 15-20% of the overall tourist arrival is through MICE traffic and that a 5% growth in the area would be expected this year. “India is one of our largest source markets for MICE traffic and it would be an excellent platform for them to come once experience Sri Lanka to bring their meetings and incentives to Sri Lanka,” he added. He also noted that the conference is supported by the bureau with a view that the foreign participation would enable the stakeholders to learn and to develop tourism further. 

The forum offers a platform to discuss and interact with industry experts who participate in panel discussions as also address pertinent issues of the hospitality trade through presentations, brainstorming sessions, case studies. The conference also has networking evenings for delegates, speakers, and exhibitors to support them and provides an opportunity to exchange ideas with global industry leaders, said Hi-Aim Director and Co-Founder Anil Kumar Sharma.

Pix by Ruwan Walpola

MICE tourism expected to increase tourist arrivals by 20-25% this year