Tag Archives: Sri Lanka

In keeping with its target to attract more visitors from the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, Sri Lanka announced the launch of its newest carrier Air Ceilao. The airline is currently working with Sri Lanka’s civil aviation authority to secure the necessary regulatory approvals. They plan to operate a mixed fleet of narrow and wide-bodied aircraft to serve the initial routes and wish to expand to long haul routes across Europe and Australia. This will be the second privately owned international airline in Sri Lanka. They stated that their aim is to revolutionize air travel by blending full-service luxury with low-cost affordability. The carrier aims to target both discerning and budget-conscious travelers. Subsequently offering them a unique experience that combines luxury and value.

SriLankan Airlines, in collaboration with Travel Portfolio from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Aitken Spence Travels from Sri Lanka, recently concluded a successful familiarization (FAM) tour of Thailand and Sri Lanka for top travel and tour operators in Dubai. The FAM tour was designed to raise awareness about the new seamless connections from the Middle East, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, to Bangkok via Colombo on flight UL 404, and to showcase Sri Lanka as a captivating holiday destination to UAE tour operators. SriLankan Airlines currently offers daily services from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, and Kuwait City, along with five weekly flights from Dammam to Colombo. Between Colombo and Bangkok, the airline operates 11 flights per week including UL 404. The schedule of flight UL 404 facilitates seamless connections via Colombo, allowing for quick transfers for passengers heading to Bangkok from the Middle East. Moreover, the scheduled arrival time of UL 404 at 12:50hrs in Bangkok and the departure time of the corresponding return flight UL 405 at 13:55hrs perfectly align with standard hotel check-in and check-out times, offering convenience to holiday travellers. Additionally, passengers traveling from the Middle East can enjoy a free stopover in Colombo when flying to Bangkok on SriLankan Airlines, offering the opportunity for a dual-country vacation in one trip. SriLankan Airlines also offers convenient connections via Colombo between nine key Indian cities and Bangkok. The travel and tour operators discovered the best of both worlds during the FAM tour. They explored the vibrant street life and shopping that capture the essence of Bangkok, as well as the bustling melting pot of Colombo, sun-kissed southern beaches, and the historic city of Galle, all deeply …

Emirates has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Arabian Travel Market 2023 in Dubai with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. The agreement reaffirms the airline’s commitment to the island-nations and outline key joint initiatives to promote trade and tourism. Emirates has pledged its renewed support to promoting tourism in Sri Lanka with an agreement that includes a host of initiatives designed to promote and play a key role in the revival of the nation’s tourism and trade industries, and comes as part of the airline’s long-standing commitment to Sri Lanka which now spans 37 years. The MoU was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean, and K.P.P. Siriwardana, Managing Director of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, in the presence of Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer. Signalling the deepening of a strategic cooperation between Emirates and Sri Lanka Tourism forged in 2022, the new MoU details joint initiatives and opportunities for collaboration, including developing  programmes to boost tourism to the Indian Ocean nation by showcasing it to customers across its global network. The airline will also engage with its network of agents in key strategic markets to promote Sri Lanka, develop special packages tailored to new and existing traveller segments, in addition to collaborating on joint familiarisation trips to raise awareness of the destination’s many varied offerings in key feeder markets. Emirates launched its services to Sri Lanka in 1986 and since then has carried more than 11 million passengers on the route. The airline currently provides two direct daily flights to Colombo and an additional daily service via Male. It is also the only international carrier to serve the country …

SriLankan Airlines is expected to play a pivotal role in the country’s economic recovery. Fully owned and backed by the Government of Sri Lanka, the Airline was forced to suspend scheduled services in early April as Sri Lanka took a tough stand on battling COVID-19. Now, with Sri Lanka’s health and safety situation under control, the Airline is ready to take to the skies and connect Sri Lanka with the world again. Discussing the reopening of Sri Lanka’s borders, the Chairman of SriLankan Airlines, Ashok Pathirage said, “Despite the challenges we face, we are looking forward to the reopening. Even though scheduled services were suspended, as the National Carrier, we have been working to provide relief flights to repatriate stranded Sri Lankans and other nationals. We have also been providing much needed cargo facilities to support our export industries and bring down essential emergency equipment and supplies to deal with the pandemic. We have been working around the clock to adapt our operations to meet health & safety guidelines and the challenging requirements of the ‘new normal’.” Ashok Pathirage is one of Sri Lanka’s foremost business leaders and is the founder of the Softlogic Group, a leading Sri Lankan conglomerate. In addition to his role as Chairman of SriLankan Airlines, Pathirage oversees more than 50 market-leading companies with interests in retail, telecommunications, healthcare, finance, IT, leisure and autos. He was invited by the Government of Sri Lanka to assume control of SriLankan Airlines in late 2019, with a view to transforming it into a more profitable and progressive enterprise. Elaborating on the health and safety measures taken by SriLankan Airlines, Pathirage explained, “We have taken every reasonable precaution to minimize …

The countdown has begun for the third digital conclave by TravTalk Middle East which will kick off in a few hours; the first session will have some of the most prominent personalities in the travel and tourism sector. For more information about the digital conclave contact Crisna de Guzman – 0554704200 or email crisna@ddppl.com. Discussing the new strategies for tourism will be Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson Sri Lanka Tourism, Gerald Lawless Ambassador WTTC and Former CEO Jumeirah Group will enlighten us more on the latest initiative by WTTC which is the renown Safe Travel stamp and on the metasearch and IT in travel and tourism sectors will be discussed by Mamoum Hmedan Managing Director MENA and India for Wego. Tourism is one industry that will never fail to cease as humans wish to explore around them. Apart from the tourism within earth UAE is exploring opportunities even in Mars in future and the very first mission is already in orbit. As we somewhat step into a post-COVID era, yet treading lightly on some of the much loved activities like travelling, one has to regain the trust and confidence to be up and about like before, this is not easy at this point of time as many things have changed. Lifestyles have changed overnight as today it is a matter of survival of the fittest. WTTC has been in the forefront over the comeback strategy as they initiated a safe travels stamp which was the need of the hour. Join the Ambassador of WTTC and former CEO of Jumeirah Group with his wealth of experience,he will enlighten the future of the travel and tourism industry. Register FREE before 11am UAE time *Regaining …

All international airports in Sri Lanka will be closed for passengers arriving into Sri Lanka from Dubai with effect from 04:00 hrs on March 19, 2020 until 23:59 hrs on March 25, 2020 (local time in Sri Lanka), according to the instructions from civil aviation of Sri Lanka. During the above mentioned period Dubai to Colombo flight operation will be suspended. Based on the above deadline, given by the civil aviation authority Sri Lankan airlines states that they will be compelled to deny passengers disembarking in Colombo on UL226 on March 18, 2020. All passengers who are booked on this flight and the restricted period can reschedule their tickets for future available flights.  

Well-known for its wellness treatment, especially in the European and Asian markets, six of Sri Lanka’s health and wellness resorts will participate at the upcoming Arab Health exhibition and conference at the World Trade Center from January 28 to 31, 2019. Some of the alternative medicine and wellness tourism companies that will attend this event are Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara, Hettigoda Industries (Siddhalepa Ayurveda Resort), Barberyn Reef Ayurveda Resort, Vingnana at Reefs (Kaya Resort and Spa), Sen Wellness Sanctuary and Hotel Tree of Life. The objective of participation at this year’s Arab Health is to establish business links with prospective business partners in promoting Sri Lanka as a prominent wellness tourism destination in the region.

A delegation of 51 Sri Lanka-based tourism and hospitality companies visited Arabian Travel Market to develop tourist arrivals and demand in the island-nation. In 2017, Sri Lanka received a total of 107,635 tourists from the Middle East region with 6.5 percent growth with the UAE as one of the fastest growing tourism market from the region. Currently there are 70 direct flight services a week connecting the UAE to Sri Lanka suggesting the potential to grow and develop the market further is great, especially as travellers from the country on average have one of the highest travel spends in the world. This will result in not only return dividends for Sri Lanka’s tourism and hospitality industries, but also for the retail industry. John Amaratunga, Sri Lankan Minister of Tourism said, “Sri Lanka has much to offer visitors from the region with our distinctive, adventure-packed, eco-friendly, family-focused experiences and offerings, as well as our rich nature, heritage and culture, year-round schedule of festivals and special events, numerous parks and eco centers, luxury resorts and wellness centres, and romantic settings for honeymooners and couples. Our mission has done much to put Sri Lanka on the map and in the hearts and minds of Middle East-based travel partners, and in combination with future promotions planned for the country and the region, I’m confident we will see many more visitors from the region making Sri Lanka their next holiday destination of choice in the coming months.”