Mackinnons Travels gets facelift; opens new office in Vauxhall Street

Mackinnons Travels Private Limited (MTL) recently celebrated the re-opening of its Vauxhall Street office. The opening of thenewly refurbished premises was attended by key officials and employees from 
the company.

The new MTL office premises, located at 186, Vauxhall Street, Colombo 2, comes fully equipped with the latest facilities and technology, including ample parking and space for customers to meet with professional travel consultantswho can assist them to create tailor made holiday packages based on their specific needs.

The momentous move was commemorated with the joint cutting of the ribbon by the President of John Keells Group Transportation and Plantations Sectors, Zafir Hashim and the Chief Executive Officer of Mackinnons Travels Private Limited and Vice President of John Keells Group, Druvi Sirisena, followed by the lighting of the oil lamp by dignitaries and the traditional boiling of milk.

MTL which was founded in 1971 functioned as a small travel agent at the time, mainly catering to an exclusive client base while servicing the corporate travel needs of its parent company, JKH. Since then, the company has grown to handle the end-to-end travel requirements of individuals and corporatesby handling ticketing, hotel bookings, group tours, individual tours, visa processing, corporate travel and incentives, among other services.Further, the company has reached many milestones, including gaining International Air Transportation Association (IATA) status and becoming the sole representative for American Express Travel in Sri Lanka, to name a few.

Addressing the gathering at the occasion, Zafir Hashim, President of John Keells Group Transportation and Plantations Sectors, stated, “It’s been a difficult time for many industries and those operating in the travel industry particularly. Mackinnons Travels, the outbound arm of John Keells Holdings is no exception to this. 

However, I am extremely proud of how the team has come together during these challenging times to overcome the obstacles placed in front of them. There are continuous improvements taking place within the company, not only in terms of systems and technological advancements but also in terms of processes and how they operate. 2023 will bea year filled with its own challenges, but I am highly confident in the team’s ability to push through the challenges and bring about a positive change for not just the company but also for their customers.”

Adding his thoughts, Druvi Sirisena, Chief Executive Officer of Mackinnons Travels Private Limited and Vice President of John Keells Group, stated, “We are truly excited about moving into this modern, fully equipped office space. This marks a big step forward in our efforts to provide our customers with the best possible level of service when addressing their travel requirements. The team has been working exceptionally hard over the past few years to navigate the turbulent times that we faced and have done their best to offer our customers a superlative service experience despite the challenges. Now, as the country is looking to rebuild itself, we are excited to be back at our Vauxhall Street office and look forward to transforming the travel industry with exciting innovations, offers 
and solutions.”