The 67th Edition of the Travel Agent Association of India (TAAI) Convention kicked off on July 6th in Colombo while Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), is the main sponsoring partner of the event in association with The Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO).
The opening ceremony of the convention will take place at Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), and his excellency Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Sri Lanka will grace the occasion as the chief guest and Hon. Harin Fernando, Minister of Tourism and Lands, will be the guest of honour. The two-day business session and Buyer-Seller meet mart will be conducted at Cinnamon Grand Hotel Colombo and Shangri-La Hotel Colombo. On the 2 nd day The Sri Lankan theme dinner will be held at the Cinnamon Grand with Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the closing Gala dinner will be held at the Heritance Negombo.
The theme of the Convention is ‘Transcending Borders, Transforming Lives’ and will focus on promoting regional tourism besides positioning Sri Lanka as a preferred destination among Indian outbound travellers.
In the press conference during the official opening of the Travel Agents Association of India Convention TAAI Mrs. Jyothi Mayal TAAI president said “I am confident Srilanka will receive many more tourists in the following days. Ms. Mayal stressed the Importance of cooperation of stakeholders adopting a holistic approach while integrating policies regulations standards technologies and best practices, which can highly contribute to the sustainable growth of Tourism In the country.
Jyothi Mayal noted the similarities in food language dresses and culture between India and Sri Lanka. TAAI will support Srilanka to revive tourism beyond this convention Mayal added.
Mr. Chalaka Gajabahu Chairman of Srilankan Tourism Board extended his gratitude to TAAI for selecting Srilanka to host the Convention. He informed that Srilanka has announced the transformative strategy with an investment of 1.4 billion over the next 12 months. The key role of India in the strategic partnership and collaboration between India and Srilanka will be vital in the successful recovery of Sri Lanka’s tourism sector.. Gajabahu added
Besides the convention, SLAITO member companies will host post-convention tours covering destinations including Bentota, Galle, and Kandy. TAAI has partnered with four airlines including Srilankan Airlines, Air India, IndiGo, and Vistara for the proposed convention to Colombo.
Around 500 delegates are expected to join TAAI Conventions (Indian Travel Congress), which is the most eagerly awaited event in the Indian Travel and Tourism industry, to network, promote or buy and sell and also to take home some great learning through knowledge sessions.
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