The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Jakarta in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) organized a tourism promotional webinar for Indonesian travel agents on 14 December, 2021. Indonesia, with a GDP of US$ 1 trillion, is the world’s fourth-most populous country with more than 270 million people and a middle class of 180 million and growing. The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Indonesia Yasoja Gunasekera, in her opening remarks, briefly highlighted unique experiences Sri Lanka offers the discerning traveler, and invited Indonesian travel agents to actively promote Sri Lanka, Indonesia’s friendly neighbor.
Vice Chairman of KADIN Indonesia for Tourism Dr. Satiti Handini appreciated this initiative of the Embassy to create a platform to give awareness on Sri Lankan tourism for Indonesian travel agents and said that Indonesians who travel worldwide were excited to experience the attractions Sri Lanka has to offer.
Managing Director of SLTPB Padma Siriwardana presented the current situation in Sri Lanka regarding the pandemic, giving confidence to tourists looking to travel to Sri Lanka during the pandemic situation. During his presentation, the Director Marketing of SLTPB Dushan Wickramasuriya decribed the unique experiences tourists can experience in Sri Lanka, including tourist attraction destinations, facilities and international partnerships.
Committee Member of Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) Paddy Paul and Member of Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in Tourism (ASMET) Rohan Abewickrama invited Indonesian travel agents to connect with these associations and responded to questions raised by the participants.
Participation in the event from the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Jakarta included First Secretary Dilini Jayawardhana, Third Secretary (Commercial) Heshani Premathilaka, Government Relations Officer Genesa Lahope and Public Diplomacy Executive Febri Falahuddin, and from the SLTPB, Junior Manager Dilukshi Wickramasinghe.
