Tourism industry lauds Govt. for shouldering burden to represent Sri Lanka at WTM

The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka President M. Shanthikumar (right) and Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators President Nishad Wijetunga  (second from left) joined Tourism Minister Harin Fernando and Sri Lanka High Commissioner in UK Saroja Sirsena at the opening of the coun- try stall at the World Travel Market 2022 in London this week

• Appreciates Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, SLTPB and UK High Commissioner for all arrangements amidst difficulties to facilitate industry stakeholders 
• Over 80 travel firms, 100 personnel participate in 3-day expo from 7 to 9 November in London to push destination Sri Lanka at WTM
• Expresses confidence in efforts made towards changing perception Sri Lanka in UK, Europe

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has lauded the arrangements made by the Government for industry stakeholders to participate in the WTM 2022 that concluded in London, UK.

The two leading industry bodies The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) in a joint statement, said that they were grateful for Tourism Minister Harin Fernando and the team at Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) for making all necessary facilities to participate at this year’s WTM, despite the financial constraints and difficulties.

They also thanked High Commissioner to the UK Saroja Sirisena, and her staff for the unstinted support extended to ensure the successful execution of WTM 2022 for Sri Lanka. 

For global tourism, the three-day World Travel Market is a red-circled event where the entire travel and tourism sector comes onto a single platform.

The joint statement also noted that Minister Fernando’s interviews on BBC and CNN as well as his comments at the official press conference were very well received with a lot of positive feedback from all fronts in the UK media. 

“We are confident that all these efforts will work well towards changing the perception of destination Sri Lanka in the UK. We expect the coming winter season to bring good results for Sri Lanka Tourism,” they expressed.

A large industry delegation comprising over 80 travel and 100 personnel led by Tourism Minister participated at the 43rd WTM from 7 to 9 November at the World Travel Market at ExCel World in London, to woo global travellers ahead of the winter season.