Classic Travel partners Louis Preston to offer internship opportunities for students

Sri Lanka’s leading travel solutions provider, Classic Travel, announced a new partnership to provide internships for students from the LOUIS PRESTON Institute, the leading professional educational institute for qualifications in Airline, Travel & Tourism and Hospitality sectors worldwide.

The partnership, which was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding will enable eligible students to receive comprehensive hands-on training in fields of airline ticketing and travel agent services, in addition to providing them with an invaluable opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the Global Distribution System (GDS) network that Classic Travel operates in. 

“Having achieved tremendous success in the travel industry over the last two decades, we have become increasingly aware of the importance of building on the strong educational foundations these young students have acquired from the LOUIS PRESTON Institute. By creating a space for these students to acquire practical, real-world experience, we are clearing the way for a new generation of talented young people to enter the industry and make an active contribution towards enhancing overall quality of services,” Classic Travel CEO Suresh Mendis explained. At the end of their internship each student will be awarded a valuable training certificate from Classic Travel and most notably, will also be offered first preference in the case of a vacancy opening at Classic Travel. 

“This initiative is one of our many efforts to raise the bar and help develop the next generation of professionals to take our industry forward. In that context, we are very pleased to partner with LOUIS PRESTON in this endeavor given the excellent standards that they maintain,” commented Classic Travel Director Saif Yusoof.    LOUIS PRESTON ensures its quality through its approved status with International Training Partners such as IATA and CTH. LOUIS PRESTON Sri Lanka commenced full operations in 2005, aims are to promote excellence in professional education by being forward-thinking, progressive and innovative, to bridge the gap between education and professional practice, to inspire and challenge tomorrow’s travel business and professional people in a supportive learning environment.

“Classic Travel is an industry leader and our students stand to reap valuable benefits from this arrangement not only in terms of employability but also in terms of obtaining a clear insight into the industry,” said LOUIS PRESTON Managing Director Dinesh Visvanathan.

Classic Travel Ltd., incorporated in 1994, is an IATA accredited travel agent based in Sri Lanka and a member of the prestigious Expolanka Group of Companies. Whilst being strategically located in the heart of Colombo in Colpetty with an extensive branch network in Hambantota, Galle, Ratnapura, Bangladesh and in the Maldives, Classic Travel is the only travel agent in Sri Lanka to be open 24 hours, 365 days of the year. In addition, Classic Travel has established a fully fledged Visa office in Deal Place A, Colombo to offer comprehensive Visa services. The Company won the Great Place to Work award 2016.