SriLankan Airlines wowed the world’s travel trade with its latest Global Sales Conference, which concluded in Hambantota on 24 November 2023 with some 200 of the airline’s top international agents and tour operators in attendance. SriLankan Airlines offered the international participants information on the operational plans of the airline during the programme as well as an enthralling glimpse into the spectacular vistas, wildlife, history, cuisine and culture that colour Sri Lanka into a masterpiece destination.

The participants represented SriLankan Airlines’ direct network spanning the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Far East, Europe, the Middle East and Australia and included general sales agents, travel agents, tour operators and franchisees of the airline’s tour operating arm, SriLankan Holidays. Through carefully curated tours and accompanied by members of the airline’s worldwide sales team, they got to visit some of Sri Lanka’s most iconic landmarks.

The three-day event that followed the tours was an explosion of the vibrant culture and traditions of Sri Lanka. The participants were entertained by a complete mini perahera with all its trimmings and several traditional dance numbers, leaving them wanting more by the end of it. The main conference was held at Shangri-La Hambantota and brought together a host of industry experts, and focused on inspiring conversations and ideas that would shape SriLankan Airlines’ future endeavours in destination marketing.

Among the distinguished list of speakers were Regional Airline Director − Oceania, South East Asia − ISC & Middle East of Trip.com, Kirk Wong; Chairman of Jetwing Symphony PLC, Hiran Cooray; Head of Partner Performance, Channel Sales − SEA Travel trends and market recovery of Google, Tara Yoon; and Managing Director of Barmy Army, Chris Millard. Secretary to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation, K. D. S. Ruwanchandra; Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau, Chalaka Gajabahu; and Senior Vice President, John Keells Group Leisure Sector, Dileep Mudadeniya, meanwhile, participated in a panel discussion.

“We wanted to bring travel agents from all over the world to Sri Lanka so that they can experience this wonderful country for what it is and go home inspired to promote Sri Lanka as a remarkable and safe destination. I hope that this programme will help them make an emotional connection with Sri Lanka and ask themselves what else can we sell in Sri Lanka?” remarked Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines during his welcome and keynote speech.

“Last year’s Global Sales Conference helped us go beyond our targets, and I expect that this year will be no different. We have received the backing of our agents for the commercial plans that we shared during the conference, and I am confident that this will help us stay on target to deliver even greater results this year,” stated Dimuthu Tennakoon, Head of Worldwide Sales & Distribution of SriLankan Airlines, who presented the airline’s network and fleet expansion plans as well as the upcoming international roll-out of  ‘SriLankan Direct Connect,’ a booking platform for agents based on IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) solutions.

“SriLankan Airlines has always been a tourism leader, stimulating inbound travel into Sri Lanka from numerous markets. Our marketing efforts are tailored to leverage on emerging travel trends and highlight Sri Lanka’s hidden gems, of which they are many. Our campaigns unveil the experience catalogue of Sri Lanka and capture the different tempos, ethos and melodies that shape the innate music of this island,” added Saminda Perera, Head of Marketing of SriLankan Airlines during his session on the airline’s marketing and sustainability initiatives.

Another highlight of the event was the premier of SriLankan Airlines’ brand new inflight safety video, which will replace the current safety video dating back to over a decade ago. The new safety video demonstrates emergency procedures against scenic backdrops of Sri Lanka. The visiting delegates were delighted by their overall experience and spoke of their time in Sri Lanka in glowing terms.

“It was an incredible experience. I had the chance to engage with the SriLankan Airlines’ leadership team and learn about their future plans and expansions. It was insightful to align our company’s goals with the vision of SriLankan Airlines and collaborate on promoting Sri Lanka in India, as well as our existing points of sale in the United Kingdom and Singapore in the future,” expressed Amit Pardasani from Delhi-based Belair - The Global Travel Company.

“I had a great flight from Paris and a wonderful experience in Sri Lanka. It is an amazing country, and I would like to thank the Commercial team of SriLankan Airlines for this opportunity. When you come to Sri Lanka you want to smile and when you leave you want to cry!” said Alexandre Bigeard, Head of Transport of French tour operator, Karavel-Promovacances and FRAM.

Shangri La Hambantota was the official venue partner of this year’s event, whilst the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and The Hoteliers Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) aptly supported the airline in this endeavour.

The conference wrapped up with a B2B networking session which saw over 500 appointments being made between the foreign delegates and Sri Lankan hoteliers and Destination Management Companies. The SriLankan Airlines Global Sales Conference may become an annual calendar event given its positive results. The airline will further continue to work closely with the international travel agents and tour operators to position Sri Lanka as one of the world’s most iconic destinations.