In the backdrop of the Sri Lanka tourism - tea board Tie up last week, at a historic meeting after many years of working in isolation Sri Lanka Tourism and Sri Lanka airlines agreed for a mutually beneficial joint marketing programme at a meeting at ITB in Berlin. Together, the global promotional budget will exceed a 5 billion rupees which will give a strong push to the agenda of both state entities and a big win for brand Sri Lanka given that research reveal that connectivity is a key driver in the promotional push increase travelers to a destination.

LR- kaushal seneviratne - Regional Manager- UK,Europe and North America sl airlines, manoj Gunawardena- Director Promotions Europe at Sri Lankan airlines, Rohantha Athukorala chairman Sri Lanka tourism, Lal Perera Global Sales Head Sri Lankan Airlines and Sandesh Perera general manager sales Sri Lankan air lines.

Sri Lankan airlines global sales head Lal Perera said we are glad for this  break through in partnership as the synergy will help the country improve the impact globally. The chairman of the Sri Lanka tourism promotional bureau Rohantha Athukorala said that Sri Lanka Tourism  is reaching out and linking with the key institutions like Sri Lanka airlines  and Sri Lanka tea board  together make Sri Lanka become a power brand globally.  The ceylon tea bar was a hit in Berlin. The overall awareness was ' always ask for pure ceylon tea with a lion logo' now we must develop on this by bring in a business model. Sri Lanka tourism will host a ceylon tea bar this week in China and next week in Moscow -Russia" It's all about creating awareness of the "one island - thousand treasures" positioning chairman Athukorala said.