World Travel Market begins today

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

LONDON: The World Travel Market the second largest trade show in the world after the ITB in Berlin will begin today at the 100 acre waterside site, Excel Exhibition Hall in London.

Over 40 travel companies from Sri Lanka and top officials of the Ministry of Tourism and Sri Lanka Tourist Board including the Minister of Tourism Anura Bandaranaike will attend the event.

The opening ceremony of the Sri Lankan pavilion located at Stand, AS5200, (same location as last year) is scheduled for 10.30 am with the Minister being present for the traditional oil lamp lighting ceremony.

In addition to Minister Bandaranaike over 100 Ministers of Tourism from other courtries too would attend the event.

Staged annually in London under one roof, the World Travel Market is a must attend, business to business exhibition that provides a unique opportunity for the whole global travel trade industry to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business.

Director Marketing, SLTB, Madubhani Perera said that the WTM would be important as it is the travel agents who market Sri Lanka. "WTM is the meeting point for travel agents and the Sri Lanka industry," she said.

"By attending the World Travel Market, participants efficiently, effectively and productively gain immediate competitive advantage for their business and stay abreast with the latest developments in the travel industry," she added.

As in the previous years, SriLankan Airlines too would have their stand near the Sri Lankan pavilion.

Today there would also be an awards ceremony that will start at 5.30pm at the Sri Lanka stand which would be subsequently followed by awards at the World Stage.

The Sri Lanka High Commission has arranged a gala night of music and entertainment at the Grange Tower Hill Hotel for Tuesday.

Wednesday 8th has been named the Eco Tourism Day.

A record breaking 48,211 travel industry professionals participated at WTM in 2005 representing 202 countries and regions.

The first pan-industry conference on bilateral tourism relations between China and Europe is to be held at World Travel Market 2006. The groundbreaking conference will bring together government and industry players from the outbound and inbound sectors in Europe and China.

World Travel Market's ChinaContact Conference 'China - the Future of Travel' will take place on Monday November 6, the opening day of the global event at ExCeL London.