World Travel Market (WTM), the leading global event for the Travel and Tourism industry, kicks off from 06-08 November 2017 at the Excel Exhibition Hall, London, UK, promoting international travel throughout the world. Appreciating this unique opportunity to promote Sri Lanka as a renowned destination in world travel, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) will again participate in the event along with its industry partners on the 150th Anniversary of Ceylon Tea. Sri Lanka is also the title sponsor for the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW) Awards Ceremony 2017.

Sri Lanka Tourism in collaboration with the travel industry has been participating at WTM for over 40 years.  The main objective of Tourism Bureau representation is to provide the Sri Lankan travel industry with an opportunity to meet, interact and network with Travel and Tourism industry partners from the UK and around the world to gain immediate competitive advantage for the Sri Lanka travel industry, stay abreast of the latest developments in the travel industry, and promote what's new in Sri Lanka such as new hotel openings e.g. the second Shangri-La hotel opening in November 2017 and events. Sri Lanka is all geared up to host a number of international events, such as: UIM Aquabike/Jetski Circuit World Championship - November 2017, The Annual European Senior Golf Tour - February 2018, Ironman 70.3 Colombo - February 2018, at the Galle Face Green, including a 1.9 km swim, a cycling event and 21.1km run along the coastline and The Annual World Surf League 2018 - July 2018, annual Redbull Local Hero Tour (Kite Surfing) and The Annual LSR Colombo Marathon.  Alongside annual cultural events: Galle Literary Festival, Colombo Fashion Week and Cinnamon Colombo scope (Contemporary Arts Festival).

Spanning across an area of 280 sq meters, the Sri Lankan pavilion has taken a cutting edge position, highlighting Tea and depicting Sri Lanka as the country of Sun, Sea and Sand as key themes. Sri Lanka is also known for its exquisite beaches. Above all, the warm hospitality and the affectionate smiles of Sri Lankans will mesmerize visitors, encouraging them to visit this magical wonderland. The backdrop of the stand depicts a tea estate where the 1st tea bush was planted by Sir James Taylor in 1867 and maintains its “Ceylon Tea Boutique” concept for WTM which has been taken globally to every major event.  All visitors to the Sri Lankan pavilion will have a rare chance of enjoying a cup of pure Ceylon Tea, which is world renowned. This compact island has so much to offer tourists with a range of diverse geographical phenomena and 8 World Heritage sites.

Under the guidance of the Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Affairs, Sri Lanka has a 2020 vision of achieving a total of 4 million visitors with extended travel nights and revenues. Sri Lanka has already become a most sought after travel destination amongst UK tourists within the past few years. The arrival figures up to September 2017 from the UK stood at 153,971 which was an 8% growth over the same period last year.  Sri Lanka Tourism expects over 220,000 tourist arrivals from the UK by 2020 and WTM will indeed be a milestone on this journey.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: The Opening Ceremony with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and colorful traditional dances:  November 6, 2017, 10.00 am on the Sri Lanka Tourism stand AS 400. The opening ceremony will be graced by Hon. Minister for Tourism Development and Christian Affairs, Mr John Amarathunga,  HE the High Commissioner, from Sri Lanka to the UK, Mrs Amari Wijewardene and other senior government officials and key industry stakeholders. Trade visitors can enjoy a lounge and meeting rooms equipped with all modern mobile technology standards in the pavilion that enable easy business to business meetings.

PRESS CONFERENCE:  07 November, 3-4 pm, preceded by afternoon tea 2.30 – 3 pm, all print and electronic media welcome, South Gallery 13/14. Please RSVP eve@representationplus.co.uk to secure a seat.

- ends -

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Some of the country's key highlights / story angles are as follows:

1. Sri Lanka is strategically located at the cross roads of both east and west sea routes and serves as the point of entry to South Asia. Major international airlines operate frequent flights from Sri Lanka to popular cities and direct air connectivity to Colombo from the UK makes travel very convenient for visitors.
2. Sri Lanka is a safe destination and all tourists are free to travel to any part of the country. Foreign visitors can easily obtain visas online without the hassle of filling in paper documents.
3. Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and British influences all in their own times have given Sri Lanka a distinct cultural flavour and experience. Such influence and cultural diversity only to be found in countries with such colourful and impassioned pasts.
4. After three decades of conflict peace was restored in the country and Sri Lanka has achieved strong growth in Tourism. At present the UK is the third largest but the biggest tourism market for Sri Lanka from Europe accounting for approximately 10% of the country's tourist arrivals in 2017. Top hotel chains like Shangri-La, Hyatt, Marriot, Sheraton, ITC are opening properties to cater to their affluent global clientele.
5. Variety: East with the finest beaches, surfing in Arugambay, which is one of the top surfing locations,  and whale watching; the North with its temples and beaches; the Central and Southern parts with game sanctuaries and West with its sandy beaches and the cultural triangle depicting the history and archaeology of ancient Sri Lanka.
6. The highland is the one of the most beautiful mountainous areas of the country. The cascading waterfalls, tea estates and the carefully manicured tea gardens give a breathtaking view of the hill country of Sri Lanka.

Only in Sri Lanka

The island is unique due to its Compactness, Diversity and Authenticity. The differentiating factors of Sri Lanka are its diverse and unique nature, heritage and culture combined with sun, sea and sand: 8 experiences in 8 wonderful days in Sri Lanka.

One Island a Thousand treasures            

The pristine beaches and relaxing beach holidays are guaranteed all year round.  Sports and adventure is an exhilarating dimension to the country. Surfing, rafting, hot air-ballooning, golf, cricket and other soft sports and adventures like mountain climbing, trekking, cycling, canopying are some of the popular activities available to those that relish a chance to tackle the great outdoors. The island offers a range of thrills between top of the mountains and the depths of the oceans.  With a rich history of over 2000 years, visitors interested in culture and history can travel to the past while visiting the remains of ancient cities; fifteen national parks attract nature lovers. Last but not least, Ayurveda Resorts on the island are among the best in the world and offer top quality health and wellness programs.

Changing Landscapes of Sri Lanka

The change in the political landscape of the country is another important aspect for Sri Lanka since 2015. The elected government has focused on good governess and has upheld the democratic values of Sri Lanka. Businesses are focused on private/public partnerships and the government has ensured a very close engagement with the western world.

ENDORSEMENTS IN 2017

• “Where to go in 2017, Hot 20 destinations for 2017” - Bloomberg
• “Galle, Sri Lanka, top winter trips of 2017 for the warm weather” - National Geographic Travel
• “Best Places to Travel in 2017” - The Rough Guide, UK
• “The 10 Hottest Travel Destinations of 2017” - Vogue, UK
• “Sri Lanka, The most fashionable place to travel” - Vogue, Paris
• “Asia's Leading Destination” - World Travel Award
• “Asia's Leading Adventure Tourism” - World Travel Awards 2017

HOTEL BRANDS

Sri Lanka offers a wide range of international hotel chains, heritage bungalows, boutique hotels and villas, guest houses, home-stay units, jungle cabins, tree-houses, eco-lodges, camping huts and luxury apartments to suit all tastes. The second Shangri-La hotel is expected to open in November 2017 other brands include: Centara, Marriott, RIU, Best Western, Hilton, Movenpick, Hyatt, OZO, Avani, Radisson.

CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS EVENTS

Sri Lanka is a country which holds a plethora of cultural festivals, such as the Kandy Esala Perahera, the Vesak Festival and Sinhala-Hindu New Year. During the month of August, Kandy becomes a busy city preparing for the Kandy Esala Perahera, one of the most glamorous and colourful cultural pageants held in Sri Lanka. The temple of the sacred tooth relic is the most historic and important place in Kandy, alongside the historic Kandy Lake. As Sri Lanka is a Theravada Buddhist nation, the Vesak Festival is celebrated on a grand scale by all Buddhists, marking the day of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and Parinirvana. This is commemorated by decorating the streets with beautiful lanterns, giant pandals, and 'dansal' by various organisations and individuals, who provide food and drink for free for devotees and passersby. This also highlights the Buddhist practice of 'Daana', which means 'giving and sharing'. At this time of the year, the streets become crowded with people who come from different parts of the country to witness the beauty of the paradise nation. Other festivals include the Duruthu Perehara and the Nawam Perehara.

OTHER NICHE SEGMENTS

Sri Lanka is rapidly developing niche segments such as wedding tourism, film tourism, and culinary tourism. With such a beautiful natural backdrop, Sri Lanka is one of the most exotic wedding destinations in the world.

Whilst having a rich local film industry, Sri Lanka has been the host of some of the world's first class film sets.  Its highly diverse nature, culture, wildlife, beaches and historical locations makes Sri Lanka the perfect destination for the global film industry in addition to the compactness of the island.  Over the last half a century, Sri Lanka has featured as the setting in the world's leading film industries including both Hollywood and Bollywood. Some of the most famous international films that have been shot in Sri Lanka include: 'Water'; 'Bridge on the River Kwai'; 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'; 'The Road from Elephant Walk' and the Disneynature documentary 'Monkey Kingdom'.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT STAND AS400 OR CONTACT

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. (SLTPB)

80, Galle Road, Colombo 03. Sri Lanka.

Tel: + 94 112426900 (Ext.: 120) - Fax: +94  112440001