Lankan envoy discusses tourism and commercial activity with Gulf Air new CEO

The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Dr A. Saj U. Mendis, had a meeting with the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air, Kresimir Kucko, last week, to discuss the most efficacious courses of action as well as strategies to enhance and to boost tourism in particular and other commercial, economic, investment and trade activities between the two countries. 

The Gulf Air, the flagship carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, operates five direct flights between Colombo and the Kingdom of Bahrain, thus complementing the flights of Sri Lankan Airlines as well.  

Kresimir Kucko was the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Croatia Airlines since 2012 until he was appointed as the CEO of Gulf Air, last month. The Chief Executive Officer, Kresimir Kucko, and Ambassador Dr. Mendis, during the meeting, broached and underscored a myriad of issues ranging from tourism, economic activity including trade and investments, connectivity between and among nations, geo-political and geo-economic dynamics and developments in the region and in the world and people to people contact, among others. 

It is of firm conviction of both the CEO and the Ambassador that the operation of Gulf Air to Sri Lanka would markedly enhance not only tourism from the Kingdom of Bahrain to Sri Lanka, but also other concomitant economic, commercial and investment activity, thus benefiting both the countries. The Gulf Air has placed firm orders for state of the art aircraft, such as Boeing-787, and it currently operates 30 aircraft serving over 40 destinations around the world. In year 2016, the tourism from the Kingdom of Bahrain to Sri Lanka was merely 3,000 and last year, the tourism from Bahrain to Sri Lanka has risen to approximately close to 10,000. 

It is strongly expected that this year the tourism to Sri Lanka from the Kingdom of Bahrain would reach nearly 14,000 to 15,000, particularly given the fact that Sri Lankan Airlines has daily direct flights as well as the direct flights of Gulf Air. 

The Chief Executive Officer, Kresimir Kucko stated to Ambassador Dr. Mendis that a large number of travel agents and tour operators as well as potential vacationers in Bahrain are keen to travel to Sri Lanka since it offers almost all touristic attractions of any given country. In addition, given the current political milieu and environment in the world, Sri Lanka is very stable and very safe for any foreigner or tourist to travel to almost any location in Sri Lanka. 

Ambassador Dr. Mendis punctuated and accentuated the fact that a number of reputed international journals and magazines such as “National Geographic” and “Lonely Planet” have listed Sri Lanka as one of the most favoured and sought after touristic destinations in the world. Ambassador Dr. Mendis also stated to the CEO Kresimir Kucko that Sri Lanka Tourism (SLT) conducted a mega Road Show to promote tourism from the Kingdom of Bahrain to Sri Lanka a couple of months ago. 

Ambassador Dr. Mendis also stated that the reception of tour operators and travel agents in Bahrain were most impressive and overwhelming. Most of the travellers from Bahrain are frequent and repeat travellers and they discuss about the diverse touristic attractions of Sri Lanka with delight and pleasure. 

He also added that Sri Lanka received well over two million tourists last year and it is the third largest foreign exchange earner of the country behind the remittances of migrant workers and garment sector. Both the CEO and Ambassador agreed that strategic augmentation and aggressive promotion of tourism in Sri Lanka would lead to economic and commercial advancement of the country more rapidly than any other sector, particularly, given the overall potential of the country.