German Travel Association to support Sri Lanka Tourism | Sunday Observer

German Travel Association to support Sri Lanka Tourism

20 October, 2019

A leading German travel industry delegation will be in Sri Lanka this week to find out ways to promote Sri Lanka tourism in Germany.

The high powered delegation consists of the President of the German Travel Association (DRV) Norbert Andreas Fiebig and nine Committee Members along with the FVW Media.

According to Norbert Andreas, “Our delegation consisting of high ranking members of Germany´s tourism industry, most of them organized in DRV´s Technical Committee on Outbound Tourism, they are very much looking forward to the visit to Sri Lanka.

“We want to picture and express what Sri Lanka is and how the destination has coped this year and are eager to see and hear about Sri Lanka´s recovery. And we will build up on these impressions. It is our aim to talk to local tourism industry and governmental institutions about ways to market Sri Lanka effectively on the German source market. If all goes well, we will be back next year with our DRV´s Destination Forum accompanied with approx. 60 Travel Agents and the number 1 German Tourism Trade Magazine in an effort to boost booking numbers from Germany,” he said.

Managing Director of SLTPB, Charmarie Maelge said, “Sri Lanka Tourism has had amazing support from all of our overseas trade partners and also from the consumers- world over to bring back the destination to be a highly popular and a much demanded holiday destination.

The international travel associations the Minister reached out to confirm and accepted the invitations to visit us onfamiliarization visits. After the visit of the Travel Agents Association of India, they decided to have their Annual Conference in Sri Lanka this year; similarly we hope that the DRV will also have their Destination Forum in Sri Lanka.”The local media will be given an opportunity to meet the delegation followed by a tailor-made tour itinerary for the group.

Sri Lanka received 156,888 German arrivals in 2018 and up to Sep 2019 the arrival number from Germany remains 93,886. Germany in 1993 and 1994 has been the number onetourist generating market for Sri Lanka. Germany has been the No: 1 tourism market for Sri Lanka from 1986 onwards up till 1995. The Ministry of Tourism Development, Wildlife & Christian Religious Affairs and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau took initiatives to support the tourism industry after the Easter Sunday attacks and to rebuild the image of Sri Lanka Tourism.

Several Travel Associations such as Universal Federation of Travel Agents Association UFFTA and Travel Agents Association of India TAAI already visited Sri Lanka and the Italian association ASTOI and the Belgium association ABTO will visit the country over the next month with the UK associations are also planning to visit.

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