Sri Lanka Awaits: Your Next Dream Destination for Celebrations and Adventures!

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Unlock the Wonders of Sri Lanka: Ideal for Leisure, Weddings, and Business Events!

•  Versatile Experiences for Every Traveler: Whether it’s Diwali vacations, summer getaways, or destination weddings, Sri Lanka offers breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural experiences to make every occasion unforgettable.
•  Seamless Planning for Business Success: With dedicated support for MICE activities, Sri Lanka provides a perfect blend of natural beauty and modern facilities, making it an ideal choice for corporate meetings, conventions, and seminars.

BILKULONLINE
By Rafat Quadri

Ahmedabad, Oct 23: Join me as I explore the enchanting island of Sri Lanka, a captivating destination that promises unforgettable experiences for both leisure and business travellers alike.

It was as a result of the collaboration between Malkanthi Welikala, Manager of Marketing at the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB), and Subhojit Sen, Director, Strategic Media Services (SMS), led to organising a Media Familiarization Tour from Gujarat, India, to Sri Lanka. Finally, we received a formal invitation to visit Sri Lanka from Achini Dandunnage, Acting General Manager of Sri Lanka Tourism, and flew to Colombo via IndiGo Airlines on October 13th from Ahmedabad via Chennai.

The Fam Tour consisted of a seven-member team from Gujarat, representing various media outlets. The group included Subhojit Sen, Rafat Quadri, S.B. Sen Mazumdar, Darshna Jamindar, Kanu Thakor, Vaishali Dave, and Daxesh Raval.

The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau organized the Fam Tour, which took place from October 13th to 18th, 2024, in Sri Lanka. The Familiarization Tour focused on both the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and Leisure sectors.

Although our tour was limited to the western part of Sri Lanka, it served as a gateway to this beautiful island nation, known by many names throughout history, such as Taprobane, Serendib, Celao, Ceylan, and Lanka (a Sanskrit term found in the Hindu epic Ramayana). The country is also affectionately referred to by several nicknames, including the Teardrop of India, the Resplendent Isle, the Island of Dharma, and the Pearl of the Orient, among others.

Dheera Hettiarachchi, the current Chairman of the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB), is a seasoned tourism management expert with a distinguished career, including his previous role as SLITHM Cluster Head for Travel and Tourism. Under his leadership, the SLCB, which operates under the Ministry of Tourism, Government of Sri Lanka, continues to position the country as a premier destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE).

“We are thrilled to announce that Sri Lanka has reached a major milestone with over 1.5 million tourist arrivals this year,” said Dheera Hettiarachchi. “This achievement reflects our island’s remarkable recovery and growing appeal as a top travel destination. With over 20,000 visitors in the first week of October alone, the future of Sri Lanka’s tourism looks brighter than ever.”

Malkanthi Welikala, Manager of Marketing at the SLCB, added, “To attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we proudly showcase the island’s natural beauty, rich culture, unique experiences, and the robust safety measures in place. Our commitment is to elevate the travel experience while ensuring seamless event planning and execution amidst Sri Lanka’s diverse and stunning landscapes.”

In a warm gesture, the SLCB authorities hosted an informal session with Fam Tour members at the Taj Samudra, Colombo, where they presented mementos to the participants as a token of appreciation.
I will be sharing a series of stories on both our news portal, BILKULONLINE  and its YouTube Channel. The aim is to encourage our vibrant, joy-loving, and hard-working Indian audience to consider Sri Lanka as their next travel destination for Diwali vacations, summer holidays, destination weddings, and other group activities.

We also hope to inspire them to choose Sri Lanka for organizing and conducting official meetings, conventions, and seminars. This initiative should equally captivate tour operators and organizers, positioning Sri Lanka as the top choice on their itineraries for travellers from India.

In conclusion, Sheron Wijesingha, Assistant Manager of Corporate Incentives and Events at SLCB, expertly coordinated the tour, while Nishantha served as an outstanding tour guide, accompanying us throughout our journey and providing valuable insights about Sri Lanka and its people.

(Rafat Quadri is the editor of BILKULONLINE News web portal and Yout Tube channel. She can be contacted at editorbilkul@gmail.com)

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