At the Bandaranaike International Airport, welcomed by the Tourist Information Centre officers of SLTPB. Ms. Chami Lanka Gasnawage , Assistant Director SLTPB and officer in charge of the Australian Market, SLTPB is also in the picture.

A team of 18 Australian travel and tour operators arrived in Sri Lanka on a ten-day long familiarization tour hosted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB).

Tourist arrivals from Australia have shown a steady incline in recent months and it is envisioned that the familiarization tour would capitalize on this wave of interest. Over 4000 tourists had arrived from Australia to Sri Lanka mostly by air during the month of June this year.

At Sigiriya

The tour operators prior to the familiarization tour had cited that tourists from Australia were particularly interested in the cultural triangle, the beaches down south and exploring both Kandy and Nuwara eliya.

This customized tour took the 18 tour agents on a 10-day tour starting from Negombo, Habrana, Trincomalee, Kandy, Dambulla, Mirissa, Ahungalle and returned to Colombo before their departure. They visited Sigiriya and the Dambulla Cave temple, Koneswaram Temple, Marble beach, and headed afterwards to Riverston, with many more in the itinerary line up. On the 15th on the day of their departure, they proceeded to Colombo Airport, and prior to their departure, they had a B2B meeting with the Sri Lankan travel trade.

Being welcomed by Ms. Chami Lanka Gasnawage on their arrival

The tourists were much impressed with the culture and beauty of Sri Lanka and were curious to know more about the destination. When inquired on what was their impression regarding Sri Lanka, the travel agents had positive feedback to give on their experience.

‘’ We’re really happy to be here and we had a wonderful experience by exploring all these historical sites, exquisite beaches and wildlife parks. Sri Lanka is an ideal destination for the traveler. There’s so much to see and explore’ said one Australian tourist who came from Melbourne.

The travel agents were really thankful to the SLTPB for providing the opportunity to explore a beautiful destination, and also giving a chance to spread the message that Sri Lanka is a safe and an interesting destination to travel.

Enjoying the seaside