Thilak Weerasinghe elected new SLAITO President

SLAITO Executive Committee for the Year 2020/21: Seated from left: Nalaka Amaratunga, Hony. Treasurer Bobby Hansen, Vice President Nishad Wijetunga, Immediate Past President Mahen Kariyawasan, President Thilak Weerasinghe, Vice President Gayangi Wirasinha, Hony. Secretary Nalin Jayasundara, Nilmin Nanayakkara, Devindre Senaratne and Company Secretary Minidi Gamalath

Standing from left: Paddy Paul, Darshana Cabraal, Bandula Withana, Nilan Wickramasinghe, Suren Ediriweera, Chandra Wickramasinghe, Harith Perera, Charith De Alwis, Rohan Abeywickrema, Ushendrini Amerasinghe, Asst. Secretary General – Associations, Nalin Malwenna, Wing Commander Kumuda Eramudugolla, COO SLAITO, and Hesara Umagiliya, SLAITO Secretariat

Arrival of Chief Guest Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa

Chief Guest Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Guest of Honour Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga​

State Minister of Money, Capital Markets and Public Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal

SLAITO President Thilak Weerasinghe

Immediate Past President Maahen Kariyawasan

Lanka Sportreizen Ltd. Chairman Thilak Weerasinghe was elected as the new President of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) at its 40th Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday, 29 September at the Ramada Colombo. 

The Chief Guest of the ceremony was Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Guest of Honour was Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga whilst the Minister of Sports Namal Rajapaksa, State Minister of Aviation D.V. Chanaka and State Minister of Money and Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal participated as Special Guests.

Apart from Weerasinghe’s election as President for the year 2020/2021 period, Wayfarers Ltd. CEO Nishad Wijetunga, and Abercrombie & Kent Managing Director Gayangi Wirasinha were elected as Vice Presidents, Aitken Spence Travels Ltd. Managing Director Nalin Jayasundera was elected as the Hony. Secretary and Columbus Tours Ltd. Managing Director Bobby Jorden Hansen was elected as the Hony. Treasurer.

Following persons were elected to the Executive Committee of SLAITO for the period of 2020/2021: Connaissance de Ceylan Chairman Chandra Wickremasinghe, NKAR Travels & Tours Ltd. Managing Director Nilmin Nanayakkara, Golden Isle Travels Ltd. Managing Director Joyce Padmini Paul, Hawk Travels Ltd. 

Managing Director Rohan Abeywickrema, House of Travels & Tourism Ltd. Managing Director Nalin A. Malwenna, JourneyScapes Ltd. Managing Director Devindre Senaratne, Tangerine Tours Ltd. General Manager Charith De Alwis, Walkers Tours Ltd. Destination Management CEO Nalaka Amaratunga, Ceylon Tours Ltd. Managing Director Surendra Ediriweera, Jetwing Travels Ltd. Deputy General Manager Bandula Withana, and Andrew the Travel Company Ltd. Managing Director Mahen Kariyawasan as the Immediate Past President. SLAITO was formally known as Association of Group Tour Agents (AGTA) and was established in 1975. In 2002, AGTA was reconstituted as SLAITO. SLAITO is recognised as the APEX body for inbound tourism and the membership handles 90% of all inbound tourists in the organised tourism sector. At present, the SLAITO has a membership of 250.

SLAITO plays an integral role in all important private sector decision-making forums and is affiliated to the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

– Pix by Ruwan Walpola