Aitken Spence Travels nurture tourism best practices with communities

Aitken Spence Travels partnered with the staff of Turyaa Kalutara and the local community an environmental and professional empowerment programme recently to conduct an educational workshop to local community members whose livelihoods depended on tourism.

The workshop covered topics such as, how to interact with tourists, how to be a professional service provider and how to conserve the environment that contributes to their profession and the industry. 
The key facilitator for the programme was Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Tourism Development and Community Relations Asst. Director Palitha Pushpa Kumara. As a part of the engagement, Aitken Spence Travels and Turyaa Kalutara resort staff joined the local community in a beach cleaning exercise on the Kalutara beach recently which coincided with the International Ozone Conservation Day on 16 September.

Sri Lanka’s largest travel company, Aitken Spence Travels is a joint venture between leading conglomerate Aitken Spence PLC and TUI, the world’s number one integrated tourism company. It served an unprecedented 153,000 visitors to Sri Lanka, during its last financial year.

Commenting on this programme Aitken Spence Travels Chief Operating Officer Tikiri Ellapola stated: “We believe this programme will be the beginning of a positive relationship in engaging the community in a different way going beyond our core business objectives of being a Destination Management Company. As Sri Lanka’s number-one DMC we will be the bridge between the hotel and the area community to develop sustainable programmes that are marketable with overseas agents. This way the community will be engaged in an organised manner to achieve a common objective. We are thankful to the SLTDA’s Asst. Director of Community Relations for sharing his expertise and time with us.”

With a legacy of expanding Sri Lanka’s tourism presence beyond traditional markets and producing some the most respected professionals in the industry, Aitken Spence Travels is the only travel company in Sri Lanka to win the Presidential Award for the Best destination management company and professional conference organizer for three consecutive years and to enter the Hall of Fame.