Sri Lanka appeals to Indian tourists with films, destination weddings and Ceylon Tea

The Sri Lankans have come with a 52-member delegation to participate at SATTE-2018 (South Asia’s Leading Travel Show) to be held between Jan 31- Feb 2 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The delegation is being led by Mrs. Chitranganee Wagiswara (High Commissioner), Mr. Felix Rodrigo (Senior Advisor for Hon. Minister of Tourism Development in Sri Lanka) and Mr. Sutheash Balasubramaniam (Managing Director of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau).

The picturesque Island nation of Sri Lanka which is world famous for its spell bounding topography is eyeing a huge chunk of the tourism market across the Indian subcontinent. The South Asian nation took a major leap in this direction on Jan 30 by holding a press conference in New Delhi with the underline theme Sri Lanka, 'A Destination for all seasons'.

Mr. Sutheash Balasubramaniam, Managing Director (Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau) on his visit to India said, ‘’India continues to be our top source market. We believe that the potential of the Indian travel market is yet to realize in terms of attracting longer stay and higher spending travellers. It is our fervent hope to make Sri Lanka the most preferred destination in Asia for Indian travellers. Sri Lanka offers travellers an array of diverse product offerings and experience spread across the small island and caters to all ages.‘’

Sri Lanka has emerged as a top notch tourist destination for global travellers and the 'Emerging Destination of the year' award conferred by Conde Nast Traveller India is testimony to the same.

The country boasting of a rich culture and heritage is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. The country has been labelled as the 'Wonder of Asia' for preserving its long-lasting cultural legacy.

It is notable that Indians have formed a big chunk of global tourists traveling to Sri Lanka. Riding high on Sri Lanka's popularity among Indian tourists, Sri Lankan tourism has set a target for 4,40000 Indian arrivals in 2018. Just for the numbers, Sri Lanka witnessed a footfall of 384,628 Indian tourists in 2017.

The Sri Lankan tourism board carried an in-depth survey which reveals certain behavioural patterns about Indian tourists. While 63.7 percent Indians go big on sightseeing excursions, around 50 percent go for shopping in the Island nation. 44 percent Indians find Sri Lanka a beautiful tropical country while 24.2 percent talk about the pristine beaches.

Besides its scenic beaches and diverse cultural aspects, the country is all geared up to promote Film Tourism, Destination Wedding, Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism and the world famous Ceylon Tea.