The World Travel Market (WTM) was held in grand style in London, supposedly considered to be one of the leading global events in the travel and tourism trade. It saw a massive crowd of interested visitors, industry stakeholders and new inventors who were able to gain an extensive knowledge of the different cultures, authenticity and tourist attractions of the various countries which participated at the fair.
This gala event was scheduled from 1 to 3 November at the Excel Exhibition Hall, London, UK, promoting international travel and leisure industry throughout the world. WTM was the biggest travel exhibition ever since the pandemic broke out and became a global threat across the globe. Nevertheless, the power of the pandemic did not seem to stop the enthusiasm and interest the participants had for this world class trade event.
The event was conducted in a new hybrid format, followed by a virtual event on 8-9 November. Across the two days, the virtual event featured conference sessions, networking sessions and one-to-one meetings. This was a novel experience for those who participated at the event, to exchange their views and perceptions regarding the travel and tourism trade and make suggestions for its progress.
Sri Lanka Tourism Chairperson Kimarli Fernando held several discussions with UK travel industry participants to add more value to Sri Lanka’s participation. Attractive gift tokens and packages were also handed over to the visitors by Chairperson, who wanted a different experience with their holiday making. The Sri Lanka stand itself was a sight to see with its vibrant mix of colours and skilfully designed artwork.
This year, Sri Lanka tourism participated at the WTM travel show with leading 20 companies from the travel and hospitality trade. Sri Lanka Tourism had a beautiful stand constructed showcasing its cultural and natural identity including a diverse range of products range which the country has to offer. A cultural dance troupe flown in from Sri Lanka entertained the visitors who were quite impressed by its cultural glamour and traditional style. The opening ceremony of the Sri Lanka stand at WTM travel fair UK was held on 1 November under the guidance of Sri Lanka Tourism Chairperson Kimarli Fernando, together with the leading industry members of Sri Lanka’s travel trade, leading stakeholders from the British travel industry and the members of the Sri Lanka High Commission in the UK.
The colourful Sri Lanka pavilion offered a variety of choices for the visitors to consider about selecting Sri Lanka as their next holiday destination.
The visitors who came to the pavilion were amazed by the numerous handicraft items, handlooms, artwork and information about the destination, which was indeed a new experience.
The turquoise blue beaches to the lush greenery of the rolling tea estates in the upcountry generated a soothing and a beautiful picture within their minds. Sri Lanka not only has its cultural and natural aspects, but also an adventure, film and wedding tourism destinations which offers a wide selection of locations to suit your choice. Of course, one cannot miss the spicy taste of its authentic and delectable cuisine. With all these luxuries in offer, Sri Lanka is one destination which the British visitors will definitely love.
Representation of Sri Lanka Tourism was widely spread among the global travel events at the fair throughout the three days of the event. The Sri Lanka Tourism Chairperson addressed the conference program organised by PATA on the topic ‘East Meets West: Restarting Travel and the Lessons Learned along the Way’. Parallel to that, she also participated as a speaker at the panel discussion on ‘Revive and Thrive: Tourism PR in a Post-Pandemic World’. Thus she was able to share her views and knowledge on how to build up tourism according to the needs and choices of the modern traveller.
This will be one of the main promotional events focused on the UK market which is one of the key markets for Sri Lanka after the pandemic. By participating at the WTM Sri Lanka hopes to bring back the global recognition which it earned as one of the world’s No. 01 tourism hotspots, enabling international travellers to come and visit the destination, to have the perfect holiday of their choice, with the myriad of travel and holiday opportunities which it has to offer.
