Business | Tourism
Sri Lanka seeks more Gulf tourists
Deputy tourism minister will visit UAE and Qatar to meet tour operators and travel agencies.
- Staff Report
- Published: 23:51 August 22, 2008
- The Middle East is one of Sri Lanka's top tourism markets as tourists from the region this year increased 80 per cent compared with 2007.
- Image Credit: Gulf News archive
Dubai: A Sri Lankan delegation headed by deputy tourism minister Faizer Mustafa will be in the UAE and Qatar from August 24 to 27 as the island nation steps up efforts to woo more high-spending Gulf tourists.
The minister will meet a large number of people from the tourism industry, including tour operators and travel agencies, on the trip.
"The Middle East is one of our major travel origin markets and in 2008 we have seen significant growth from this market. We are increasing our marketing and promotion drive by carrying out a year round campaign to increase our share of leisure visitors and further increase awareness about our country's tourism attractions," Mustafa said in a statement.
In recent months, Sri Lanka has reported an increase in foreign tourist arrivals.
The Middle East is one of the top performing source markets as tourists from the region this year increased 80 per cent in comparison with 2007, the statement noted.
Mustafa said the visit will provide him an opportunity to establish new business contacts and interact "with a very keen travel trade audience."
"The cities of Dubai and Doha were chosen because of the large volumes of travellers they generate for Sri Lanka and we already have pre-confirmed meetings with senior personnel from the travel trade in both cities," he said.
Mustafa had earlier announced the opening of a Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board office in Dubai to target the Middle East travellers.
The office will co-ordinate all of Sri Lanka's tourism promotional activities such as exhibition participation, road shows, advertising, brochure distribution in Arab markets.
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