Aitken Spence Travels hosts Lebanese Travel Agents’ Association President
07 Dec 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Lebanese Travel Agents’ Association President Jean Abboud and other Lebanese tour agents visiting Sigiriya
Lebanese Travel Agents’ Association President Jean Abboud along with a group of high-profile Lebanese tour agents on an educational tour to Sri Lanka was welcomed and hosted by Aitken Spence Travels recently.
The group’s main objective was to update themselves about the destination and explore the possibilities of developing new tours based on their 14-year relationship with the company.
As the market leader that penetrated the Lebanese market way back in 2001, Aitken Spence Travels has enjoyed the first mover advantage and handles the bulk of the inbound Lebanese travellers to Sri Lanka. The country recorded over 3,700 Lebanese travellers last year and this number is currently growing
at 20 percent.
The Lebanese travellers prefer to travel to Sri Lanka specifically during Eid, Easter, Christmas and summer holidays which usually fall during June, July and August. Many honeymooners and groups prefer Sri Lanka as a destination and enjoy the many new attractions the country has to offer including shopping at all international branded stores.
Commenting on his visit to Sri Lanka Abboud said, “I have been in love with Sri Lanka since my first visit way back in 2001. I could safely say that this is my second home. You have a beautiful country which is a tropical destination to many Lebanese who enjoy attractions such as the abundance of beautiful nature, the rich culture, the sandy beaches and the varied wildlife Sri Lanka has to offer. So we need to look at creating more and more new tours highlighting these products to attract travellers from Lebanon that would further strengthen and grow the market.”
“We have invested heavily in this market ever since we entered it. All our efforts through promotions, airline promotions and educating the agents have paid rich dividends in reaching the current position. We will not relay on our current laurels and will ensure that we further strengthen the relationships and develop more tours that would help us tap in to untapped potential travellers of Lebanon,” stated Aitken Spence Travels AVP Marketing Darell de Crusz.