The Nepal Tour and Travel Agents Association members who visited Sri Lanka recently on a promotional visit were quite optimistic that the two countries could market its tourism product with aggressive and innovative campaigns.
Acting secretary of the Association Jiswan Thuladhar Shreshta told The Island: “Though, initially our mission was to promote Nepal as a destination in Sri Lanka, however on seeing the positive response and the overwhelming enthusiasm shown by the travel agents here to promote the country as a destination in Nepal, we are wholeheartedly supporting the move.
She was of the opinion that with a “Concerted effort Sri Lanka and Nepal should enjoy a bigger market share in tourist arrivals in the region with aggressive promotions and innovative thinking.”
She said, ‘It was a totally a successful and a mutually beneficial business mission’.
Jiswan said Nepal had more than mountains to offer to tourists who desired adventure travel, a luxury honeymooners paradise and the country was essentially a pilgrims’ destination with a number of key Buddhist sites and Lumbini, the birth place of Buddha being the focal point.
She said that during the last three years approximately 1,225,000 tourists had visited Nepal and the tourism authorities there expected the number to increase with the easing of travel restrictions due to the pandemic.
The senior travel agent said Sri Lanka was blessed with all the key ingredients required to become a top tourist destination in the region and with aggressive promotions and a hands-on approach it could be achieved.
During her visit here, Jiswan visited the beaches and the hill country and said she was highly impressed with the cleanliness of the hotels, warm hospitality and the exotic cuisine.
Nilmin Nanayakkara, Chairman/Managing Director, Nkar Travels and Tours (Pvt) Ltd, the livewire behind the visit of the Nepalese travel agents to Sri Lanka said, that the meetings the members of the IATA agents Association of Sri Lanka and the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka had with their Nepalese counterparts were quite successful “and we need to get cracking from here”.
Nanayakkara, a veteran travel agent, said hitherto the biggest obstacle both countries faced was non-availability of direct flights and now that SriLankan Airlines was operating four flights a week – Colombo-Kathmandu-Colombo – more holidaymakers would make use of that opportunity.
Source : Island.lk
