For the first time the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) took part in MEEDEX 2015-MICE Trade Fair in France recently.
“MICE trade fairs are getting fragmented either geographic or type based, hence there is a need to look into such specialized fairs in our calendar,” said SLCB CEO Vipula Wanigasekera.
MEEDEX Fair has been created as a platform exclusively dedicated to French buyers of incentives. MICE industry members joined the SLCB in the new venture and appreciated the decision due to the positive response from the new buyers who attended this event.
Tourism and Sports Minister Navin Disanayake emphasizes the need to entice upscale clients into the country and this is a direct approach to bring in incentive travellers into Sri Lanka who are high spenders. The Bureau’s objective with this event is to establish contacts with new buyers who have not sold Sri Lanka yet and to set the stage for Sri Lankan industry members to transact business, both of which were achieved through this exercise.
The SLCB was represented by its Marketing Manager Kumudu Hennadige and was assisted by Commercial Counsellor in the Embassy of Sri Lanka in France Alexi Gunasekera.
The Bureau also took the opportunity to discuss matters with the Secretary General of the SNAV-French Tour Operators’ Association concerning the possibility of hosting the SANV 2016 congress in Sri Lanka.
