Travel Mart attracts 110 buyers
 

by Anjana Gamage

The Sri Lanka Travel Mart, gateway to South Asia opened yesterday at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Exhibition Centre at the BMICH on a traditional note with a dance troupe escorting Chief Guest Deputy Minister of Tourism Arjuna Ranatunga to the welcome stand.

Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) Chairman Udaya Nanayakkara, Tourism Ministry Secretary Dr. P. Ramanujam, SLTB Director Gener S. Kalaiselvam, Ministry Additional Secretary George Michael, Head of Commercial SriLankan Airlines Barry Brown and other travel and tourism personalities attended the travel mart.

The travel mart titled 'Sri Lanka-Gateway to South Asia' will be opened to the public from today noon and continue till June 5. Speaking to the Daily News at the Sri Lanka Tourist Board Stand of the travel mart, Kalaiselavam said: "There is a significant increase in this year's participation when compared with last year. It is specially due to the booming tourism industry after the tsunami.

There are 110 buyers, most of them from Europe and China. A notable increase is indicated from China at this year's mart. There are about 80 exhibitors from around South Asia and four are from India".

A seminar on 'New Trends in South Asian Tourism' will be held during the first half of the day on June 5 that will feature international speakers Ken Scott, Director of Communication, PATA, Ian Raynolds, President of ABTA and Renuka Chaudry, Minister of Tourism in India. Apart from the leading travel firms in the country, a number of ancillary industries have also been showcased at the mart including handicrafts, tea, gems and jewellery etc.

Meanwhile, SriLankan Airlines which has set up its main stand at the travel mart is providing a 30 per cent discount on air tickets to several selected destinations from June 3 to 5 as a promotion of the Sri Lankan travel mart.

The curtain will fall on the Sri Lanka Travel Mart on June 5 with an awards ceremony to felicitate the most attractive stall from three categories: Travel and tourism sector, International seller sector and other general seller sector.

ANCL and Rupavahini are the media sponsors.