Sri Lanka launches new initiatives to attract Indian tourists

24 November 2024 02:46 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 8 Bookmark

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WION- Aiming to cash on growing outbound Indian tourists, Sri Lanka and Australia have launched new initiatives to cash in on this. Sri Lankan Airlines has launched a unique package for Indian tourists- the "Ramayana Trail" that includes 50 significant locations in the country which is associated with the Hindu epic.

These include Seeta Amman Temple, where Mata Sita is said to have prayed during her captivity, to Rumassala hill, where a piece of the Himalayas is believed to have landed, dropped by Hanuman.

Launching the trail officially over the weekend in Delhi, the Sri Lankan high commissioner said, "The Ramayan is not merely a story, it is a tapestry encapsulating culture, spirituality, and heritage. It has been a source of inspiration, guidance, fostering a connection between India & Sri Lanka...Sri Lankan Airlines is not only offering the opportunity to discover significant locations"

Sri Lankan Airlines is the country's national carrier, and the initiative comes at a time when India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was extended to the country, which enhances digital financial connectivity. It not only facilitates cross-border transactions, and digital connectivity but also helps the Indian tourists travelling to the country.

Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lankan Airlines, Richard Nuttall said, "Our Gurus came with this wonderful idea, that it was time for the Ramayana trail. We are really proud to promote this concept and bring the trail to India. We hope this will take tourism from India to Sri Lanka to a new level".

Indians were the largest group of foreign tourists to travel to Sri Lanka in October 2024. With a share of 26.8%, around 36000 Indians travelled to the country also known as the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean". The next largest number of tourists were from Russia, at just 7.6% share. From November 1-20th 2024, 26,700 Indian tourists travelled to the country, according to Sri Lankan govt data.

Comments - 8

Lanka Sunday, 24 November 2024 03:58 PM

India will be our next market for our local tourism … unlike in the past Indians are keen to visit us now :: if the bridge between Mannar and TN is build it boost our tourism from India 10 times or more . If we do that we will be the best place in Asia for Tourism: our cultural , religious and social connections with India is huge and our economic and financial connections must be more than that : while preserving our identity and culture and political integrity and freedom no harm have close connections with India and Indian market is 50 time more for us : so why not we plan out it to increase our trade and business.

28 19

Tissa Fernando Monday, 25 November 2024 02:28 AM

The bridge will bring millions of illegals into Sri Lanka who will not go back. Real tourists who spend money here are very few from India.

9 14

Mahinda Sunday, 24 November 2024 07:42 PM

This is crazy, Indians don't spend money like other tourists and also they don't keep the hotel toilets clean.

20 43

N/A Sunday, 24 November 2024 10:39 PM

Dear Mahinda: please use appropriate words when you write any thing about any other nation and nationals we don’t need to generalise any bad thing to say all are same: we too have a lot of issue with cleaning and go and see some towns and city areas : who say Indians don’t spend : when they come here what do they do and who do they get money from to spend? Don’t generalise it at all : we like it or not we get a lot of our food items from India .

18 12

Rohan Seneviratne Sunday, 24 November 2024 11:51 PM

We should focus on tourists from Europe and not from India. Indians do not spend money like the Europeans.

8 10

Tourist Sydney Monday, 25 November 2024 03:04 AM

First make sure our train toilets are good , first class or any comparments

0 10

Cecil Hedwige Monday, 25 November 2024 08:33 AM

To Mahinda,as if our own Sri lankans know how to use toilets,do not look down on others just look at ouselves.

5 13

Quolp Monday, 25 November 2024 11:45 AM

Yeah, allowing them to defecate in public ROADS will attract Indian tourism in Sri Lanka.

3 4

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