Sri Lanka – Italy Business Council and Italian Embassy host workshop on “Winning and Retaining Italian Tourists”

Wednesday, 30 April 2025 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

From left: SLITBC Vice President Dushy Jayaweera, President Daminda Mulgama, Italian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Damiano Francovigh, Italian Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Alberto Arcidiacono, SLITBC Past President Janaka Gunasekera and Committee Member Anika Williamson

From left: Pekoe Trail Founder and Designer Miguel Cunat, Italian Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Alberto Arcidiacono, SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam, SLAITO President Nalin Jayasundera and Jetwing Hotels Marketing Director Hashan Cooray

The Sri Lanka – Italy Business Council of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Colombo, hosted a workshop recently on “Winning and Retaining Italian Tourists”, bringing together tourism industry leaders, diplomatic representatives, and travel experts from Italy.

Delivering the keynote address, Italian Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Alberto Arcidiacono highlighted the evolving preferences of Italian travellers, and the many unique experiences Sri Lanka has to offer that resonate with them.

The keynote address was followed by a panel discussion on the Italian travel market, featuring Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam, Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators President and Aitken Spence Travels Managing Director Nalin Jayasundera and Sri Lanka’s revolutionary 300km plus, 22-stage hiking route, the Pekoe Trail Founder and Designer Miguel Cunat. The discussion was moderated by Jetwing Hotels Director – Marketing and Development Hashan Cooray.

The discussion centred around key themes such as the expectations of various Italian traveller segments, particularly luxury tourists, and what Sri Lanka must do to compete with regional rivals such as Thailand and Malaysia. The panellists also discussed the “wish list” of Italian travellers, including personalised itineraries, addressing language problems, and delivering authentic local experiences and high-quality service standards.

Joining the discussion virtually from Italy, three Italian travel agents shared their insights on traveller behaviour, current booking trends, and the competitive positioning of Sri Lanka in the Italian market.

The event attracted an enthusiastic turnout, with participation from destination management companies and tour operators to airline representatives and online travel agents.

Cinnamon Life – City of Dreams was the Exclusive Event Venue Partner and Platinum Sponsor. Omega Line was the Gold Sponsor for the event.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.