Tourism Breaking News
SriLankan Airlines joined the Arabian Travel Mart (ATM) 2023 to boost tourism from the Middle East and North Africa. The region is an important source market for high-net worth tourists and SriLankan hopes to promote its flight services from the Middle East to Sri Lanka and beyond for leisure travel. Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive Officer Sri Lankan Airlines speaking with TravelTV Middle East highlighted the importance of the destination and the new campaign to attract hitherto unknown places in the destination. He further reiterated that currently SriLankan Airlines operates over 40 weekly flights to the Middle East spanning the key cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; Doha in Qatar; Dammam and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia; and Kuwait. The airline is now looking ahead to further strengthen its operations in the Middle East with the anticipated new aircraft deliveries to its fleet in the near future. SriLankan’s plans for the Middle East include an increase in the number of weekly flights to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha and the relaunch of services to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
He further stated, “There is a huge diaspora living in the Middle Eastern region and we want them to feel at home as soon as they board the flight, and for those tourists who will travel with us for the first time, we want them to feel the Sri Lankan hospitality as soon as they begin their journey onboard. For Middle Eastern customers seeking the thrill and vibrancy of Sri Lanka, SriLankan Airlines is arguably the best choice of travel due to the airline’s convenient and direct flight options between multiple cities across the Middle East and the island.”
SriLankan Airlines further offers quick connections to passengers travelling beyond Colombo to the pristine shores of the Maldives. SriLankan is the only international airline to fly to both Malé and Gan airports in the Maldives. SriLankan’s flights out of the Middle East also connect conveniently to nine cities in India and seven destinations in the Far East, which are prominently covered in the airline’s network.
SriLankan’s level of commitment to providing customers with a quality service and convenience is matched only by its commitment to a sustainable future. The official theme of ‘Working Towards Net Zero’ of ATM 2023 is a cause that is close to the heart of SriLankan Airlines, which has been a forerunner for sustainability in the aviation industry of South Asia. SriLankan was the first airline in Asia to introduce ‘Planet Friendly Flights’ back in 2009 and was named the second lowest carbon emitting airline in the Asia-Pacific in 2016 by Business Traveller. SriLankan Airlines’ signature upcycle project, ‘Mathaka,’ beat out 118 other submissions to win the Best Aviation Sustainability Program Award at the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (SMBR) Global Aviation Awards in December 2022.
This year’s ATM will draw travel and tourism professionals as well as media from all corners of the world. SriLankan Airlines is optimistic that its participation at this unique event will help mobilize support from the Middle Eastern travel trade for the airline and Sri Lanka, and entice tourists from the region to make Sri Lanka their next vacation stop.
The ATM has been a mainstay on the SriLankan Airlines’ calendar as the event affords unparalleled opportunities to network with prominent travel trade stakeholders and highlight the airline in the Middle East.
