10th edition of ‘Sancharaka Udawa’ kicks off today

The 10th edition of ‘Sancharaka Udawa’ — the country’s biggest and only travel and tourism trade fair is all set to kick off today (19) under the patronage of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exposition Centre.

The two-day event is organised by the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), and supported by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is being held after a three-year absence following multiple crises.

The trade fair offers a vital platform for business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C), supporting all small, medium and large travel players to make their appearance. It will also feature a panel discussion featuring Foreign Ambassadors titled ‘Resilient, Innovative and Sustainable Tourism for Sri Lanka’. 

The knowledge partner of the event is the University of Colombo.

“We expect to have a footfall of around 8,000 – 10,000 for the two days and to build together a wide network of personnel across the industry,” Sancharaka Udawa Committee Chair Charith de Alwis told the Daily FT.

He also said the event will undoubtedly be a massive opportunity for all those who are engaged in the industry, as well as those who are expecting to enter the tourism industry.

The platform will allow 250 exhibitors to market their products, whilst providing an opportunity to engage with the relevant Government authorities as well as build lasting connections with the target markets to grasp the most current layout of the tourism industry. 

Prospective exhibitors include hotels and resorts, restaurants, entertainment services and boutique hotels, which will be the largest segment, transport providers, campsites, and provincial tourism authorities among others.

The exhibition will be open from 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. till tomorrow.