Thilak Weerasinghe re-elected as SLAITO President for 2021/2022

Thilak Weerasinghe, representing Lanka Sportreizen, was unanimously re-elected as President of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO). 

The SLAITO, an approved association of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the apex body for inbound tourism in Sri Lanka, handling 90 percent of all inbound tourists in the organised tourism sector, held its 41st Annual General Meeting recently on a virtual platform. 

The SLAITO plays an integral role in all important private sector decision-making forums and has representation on the governing boards of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB), Sri Lanka Institute of Tourist Hotel Management (SLITHM) and Tourism Industry Skills Council.

The SLAITO, formally known as the Association of Group Tour Agents (AGTA), was established in 1975 and consists of destination management companies, which service the tourists in Sri Lanka. It represents the foreign travel companies and charter operators, which are the main source of suppliers of clients to all hotels in the island, including the beach resorts, cultural triangle, hill country and deep south. 

The following Executive Committee Members were elected at the SLAITO Annual General Meeting: Nalin Jayasundera of Aitken Spence Travels – Vice President, Nishad Wijetunga of Wayfarers Ltd – Vice President, Bobby Jordan Hansen of Columbus Tours (Pvt.) Ltd – Hony. Treasurer, Devindre Senaratne of JourneyScapes Travel – Hony. Secretary, Gayangi Wirasinha of Abercrombie & Kent (Pvt.) Ltd, Chandra Wickremasinghe of Connaissance de Ceylan (Pvt.) Ltd, Suren Ediriweera of Ceylon Tours Ltd, Harith Perera of Diethelm Travels Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, Padmini Paul of Golden Isle Travels (Pvt.) Ltd, Rohan Abeywickrema of Hawk Travels (Pvt.) Ltd, Nalin Malwenna of House of Travels & Tourism (Pvt.) Ltd, Bandula Withana of Jetwing Travels (Pvt.) Ltd, Nilan Wickramasinghe of Lion Royal (Pvt.) Ltd, Nilmin Nanayakkara of Nkar Travels & Tours (Pvt.) Ltd, Charith de Alwis of Tangerine Tours (Pvt.) Ltd, Darshana Cabraal of Tour Blue Holdings (Pvt.) Limited, Nalaka Amaratunga of Walkers Tours Ltd and Mahen Kariyawasan of Andrew the Travel Company (Pvt.) Ltd joined the Executive Committee in his capacity as Immediate Past President.