Located in a picturesque location of the French Rivera, the 18th edition of the ILTM at Cannes, was held in France recently.
Over 5,000 visitors from across the world visited the exhibition. The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) participated in this mega event showcasing Sri Lanka’s tropical glory and the impressive characteristics of the island.
Thirteen travel trade representatives joined the Sri Lanka delegation on the mission to highlight Sri Lanka as one of the best tourism destinations in the world.
The fair was open to travel agents, media and hoteliers, who visited the Sri Lanka stall for a wide range of reasons such as to gain knowledge regarding the luxury products of Sri Lanka, to corporate with Sri Lankan tour operators, added by new companies looking for a potential market in Sri Lanka.
All tour agents were given promotional material.
Media and tour operators who attended the fair were concerned about the general information about the country, package holidays, information about the visa, and information regarding airlines and their duration,while also coordinating with the local counterparts and discussing future business plans.
The event also hosted over 70 of the world’s most influential travel editors from publications that are the voice of luxury travel to their high net-worth readers around the world, and there were other VIP media who independently attended the occasion. ILTM Travel fair generated many opportunities to promote Sri Lanka for French travellers.
A few meetings were held with major tour operators who currently sell Sri Lanka as a destination and new operators who plan to promote Sri Lanka as a destination.
Sri Lanka also focused on encouraging tourists from Western European countries, including France, due to high revenue and high value generated by tourists arriving from Western Europe.