Shamali De Vaz elected as PATA Sri Lanka Chapter Chairperson

The 37th Annual General Meeting of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. Silver Line Tours Managing Director Shamali De Vaz was elected as the Chairperson of the Chapter for the year 2012-2013. Jetwing Hotels Managing Director Ruan Samarasinghe and Aitken Spence Hotels Head of Marketing and Sales Hussain Jayah were elected as Vice Chairmen.

Standing from left: Eco Team Ltd. CEO Anurudda Bandara, Quickshaws Tours Ltd. Managing Director Nirmala De Mel, Mahaweli Reach Hotels Ltd. Managing Director Jayantha Panabokke, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Director- International Affairs and Research Malraj Kiriella, Secretary of the PATA Sri Lanka Chapter Lakshika Perera and Sunway Holidays Managing Director Ramesh Dassanayake .Seated from left: Tallman Tours Ltd. Managing Director Zahara Cader, Jetwing Hotels (Vice Chairman), Managing Director Ruan Samarasinghe, Aitkin Spence Hotels Holdings (Vice Chairman) Director Sales and Marketing Hussain Jayah, Silver Line Tours (Pvt) Ltd. (Chairperson) Managing Director Shamali Devaz, Travelson Limited Executive Chairman Sega Nagendra and of Galle Face Hotels Ltd. Director Lalith Rodrigo

The following Committee members were elected to the Committee of the PATA Sri Lanka Chapter: Galle Face Hotels Director Lalith Rodrigo, Mahaweli Reach Hotels Managing Director Jayantha Panabokke,  Quickshaws Tours Managing Director Nirmala De Mel, Tallman Tours Managing Director Zahara Cader,  Travelon Limited Director Sega Nagendra, Diethelm Travel Lanka Managing Director Harith Perera, Eco Team CEO Anurudda Bandara, Sunway Holidays Managing Director Ramesh Dassanayake and Pan Lanka Travels and Tours Director Ratten Abdulhussein as the Immediate Past Chairperson.

Sri Lanka Convention Bureau Marketing and Promotions Executive Kumudu Hennidege, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Director/International Affairs and Research Malraj Kiriella and Civil Aviation Authority Senior Air Transport Officer Asanga Liyanarachchi and a representative from Sri Lankan Airlines will be joining in an ex-officio capacity.

The PATA 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. Membership of the Chapter consists of 63 local members comprising travel agents, tour operators, sightseeing operators, ground/water transportation operators and hoteliers whose businesses are situated within Sri Lanka.