In the back drop of the $100 billion dollar AIIB bank that is been set in China for which $40billion is been assigned for the development of the Silk Route, Sri Lanka Tourism took the high ground together with the Sri Lankan embassy in Beijing to launch an aggressive Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion in the top end Chinese province of Shandgon in the Quingdao city. Quingdao connects with the Colombo city by way of the silk route which makes this new market development unique said Sri Lanka tourism Promotion bureau chairman Rohantha Athukorala. China is registering a growth of 71.9% as at end May 2015 and is poised to pass the 225,000 mark this year said Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau.

 Sri Lankan Ambassador for China Rajith Uyangoda, Cu De Zhi- Director Qingdao Tourism Administration, Dr. Rohantha Athukorala- Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism, Ma Jun - a Director The Foreign Affairs office Shangdon Peoples Government, China.

A historic moment as It was the the first city on the development agenda for tourism promotions under the Silk Route and Sri Lanka commencing the partnership with Quingdao is the first step as per the master plan said Ambassador for Sri Lanka in China Ranjith Uyangoda. The Shandong Province has a population of one hundred million and almost 8 million take a luxury holiday once a year which is what we are targeting from a tourism sector he said. The Ambassador  voiced I am pleased to see the efforts of Sri Lanka Tourism in making the silk route plan a reality. We must make visitor arrivals cross 300,000 by the end of 2016. It's nice to see how Sri Lankan air lines supporting market development template of Sri Lanka tourism he added.

36 top Sri Lankan private sector companies took part in the new market development road show with companies like John Keells, Aitken Spence, Jetwing and Hemas that included many SME organizations which was interesting given the market insight that almost fifty percent of the tourism sector revenue been accounting by the SME sector with a 7.3 million guest nights last year commented Athukorala. From the Quingdao prefecture 144 travel agents took part in the b2b sessions together with the top hierarchy of the Quingdao Tourism Promotional Authority led by the chairman and the president of the famous Rubber Valley.

Sri Lanka Airlines cluster- Guanzhour Province in a landmark gesture offered three tickets to the Quingdao Tourism promotional Authority Chairmam to visit Sri Lanka whilst the private sector offered a seven day excursion. Ambassador Uyangoda who instrumented the gesture said "now the bond between Sri Lanka and the people of Quingdao are very strong. We will see the business growing in the near future given the marketing support of the two promotional units of the Sri Lanka government.

Travel Agents Interaction at the Road Show

Travel Agents Interaction at the Road Show

Travel Agents Interaction at the Road Show