A leopard spotted in one of Sri Lanka’s national parks

THE SRI Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is reinforcing destination promotion efforts in international markets to achieve its 2016 target of 2.2 million tourist arrivals, having received 964,267 visitors in the first half of the year. Last year, Sri Lanka saw a 17.8 per cent increase in arrivals to 1.8 million.

The bureau is now on a roadshow mission to showcase the country’s offerings with inbound agents. Countries covered so far include China and South Korea, and the bureau will organise roadshows in Japan, Australia, Norway, Denmark and Sweden, among others, according to Kalpa Gunasinghe, junior manager for marketing at the tourism promotion bureau.

Mohan de S Meegolle, country manager for Singapore and Indonesia at Sri Lankan Airlines, said during the roadshow led by SLTPB in Singapore last Friday: “Sri Lanka is a wonderful destination with lots to offer but (many) do not know enough about it.”

The national carrier has also thrown action behind the NTO’s marketing ambitions, for instance, by engaging agents in joint promotions and assisting with itinerary planning, he shared.

Meegolle added: “There are plans to expand our network to secondary cities in China. We currently offer charters to Chongqing but may go on to launch regular services (on this route).”

Gunasinghe told TTG Asia that SLTPB has allocated an estimated Rs150 million (US$1 million) for promotions in China alone, while recent reports state the bureau is to spend Rs800 million on promotional campaigns in 2016 and 2017.

For Sri Lanka, China represents a fast-growing market expected to surpass top source country, India, by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Rukshan Perara, sales and marketing manager at Sri Lanka-based agency Serene Vacations, said inbound business has improved in recent years, with China and India being the strongest markets followed by the Middle East and Europe.

Commenting on promotional support from the bureau, he said: “It is good since we get to participate in international roadshows. But it is not (the best) – the government is not spending as much on promotions as before.”

Local industry players had also lamented that Sri Lanka did not meet its full tourism potential in the post-war years due to the NTO’s lack of a targeted marketing plan in promoting the destination.

MONACO, well known for its luxury travel offerings, and previously a visitor to IT&CMA, has confirmed their presence as a destination exhibitor this year as part of a campaign to promote MICE and incentive travel to the country.

Benoit Badufle, managing director of the Monaco Government Tourist & Convention Bureau Asia c/o Horus Development & Consulting, commented on their decision to exhibit: “We liked the atmosphere and the quality of the interactions and variety of hosted buyers. The ability to schedule targeted appointments was also an important criterion as we believe in their contribution to a more satisfactory return on investment.”

Since promoting Monaco in the entire Asian region, the country has seen an increase in companies and corporate travel organisers looking at Monaco as an incentive destination. Improved airline route options with direct flights from Asia and Europe, the emergence of Middle East carriers, easing of visa regulations and a plethora of curated events are just some of the many factors contributing to the gaining popularity amongst buyers as a safe and approachable destination.

“In the last five years, countries like China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and South Korea have emerged as new sources of revenue. Today, we welcome at least one incentive group from any of these countries each year. More and more companies and incentive travel organisers in Asia trust Monaco for their prestigious projects; that is what we wish to convey to those attending IT&CMA 2016 in Bangkok.”

Functional meeting venues, world-class sports and social events, exclusive luxury experiences, and a vast array of cuisines and street food make Monaco a global and cultural MICE destination offering some of the most concentrated luxury shopping selections in the World.

Apart from these events, Monaco’s strategic location at the centre of the French and Italian Riviera will allow guests to experience three different countries during their sojourn – a trademark of the uniqueness of such a small country with over 120 nationalities. Visitors to Monaco can explore the Mediterranean Sea and its exciting activities, the scenic medieval villages of Provence and Liguria as a backdrop plus the Alps, with alpine skiing available five months a year, taking home an unforgettable experience.

Buyers and hosted delegates of IT&CMA 2016 can look forward to being welcomed by experts on Monaco, and the Riviera’s, holding key contacts with suppliers, DMCs, including cultural and F&B offerings in the country. Attendees can expect fun and engaging ideas and suggestions for their incentive projects, including a daily lucky draw to win an amazing familiarisation trip to Monaco with helicopter transfer up for grabs.

IT&CMA 2016 will be held from September 27-29, 2016 at the Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld. It is co-located with the CTW Asia-Pacific – The Leading Corporate Travel Management Conference for the Asia-Pacific.

Ba Na Hills in Danang Province

NEW direct flights connecting Bangkok with Danang will likely boost the business travel landscape in central Vietnam, claim industry insiders.

Bangkok Airways launched four-times weekly flights between Danang and Bangkok in May, which was quickly followed by Vietnam Airlines’ launch of an identical route with the same frequency last month.

Jack Bartholomew, Khiri Travel’s director for Indochina, said: “(The new services) will certainly be good for business and international leisure travellers wanting to explore central Vietnam and the north.”

Vietnam’s third largest city and major Vietnamese port, Danang, welcomed 659,000 tourists, including more than 6,820 Thais, between January and May 2016 – a 25.9 per cent increase year-on-year. It is also the gateway to the popular tourist destinations of Hoi An and Hue.

Tinh Huynh, founder of Danang-based travel consultants, Green Age, hopes the new flights will lead to more investment in developing central Vietnam as a travel destination.

“International travellers don’t have to go to Ho Chi Minh City now so it opens up this part of the country more,” he said, urging the authorities to roll out stronger marketing strategies to capitalise on the new services.

ASIA-PACIFIC continues to dominate global air passenger traffic growth, according to 2015 industry performance statistics released by IATA in its 60^th Edition of the World Air Transport Statistics.

Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region once again carried the largest number of passengers at 1.2 billion last year, rising 10 per cent from 2014, to account for a 34 per cent market share.

Overall, airlines carried 3.6 billion passengers on scheduled services, an increase of 7.2 per cent over 2014 to represent an additional 240 million air trips.

India saw the fastest passenger growth of 18.8 per cent in 2015 with an annual growth of 18.8 per cent in a market of 80 million domestic passengers, surpassing Russia’s 11.9 per cent growth (47 million domestic passengers), China’s 9.7 per cent growth (394 million domestic passengers) and the US’ 5.4 per cent growth (708 million domestic passengers).

The top five international/regional passenger airport-pairs all reside within Asia-Pacific: Hong Kong-Taipei (5.1 million, up 2.1 per cent from 2014), Jakarta-Singapore (3.4 million, down 2.6 per cent), Bangkok Suvarnabhumi-Hong Kong (three million, up 29.2 per cent), Kuala Lumpur–Singapore (2.7 million, up 13 per cent) and Hong Kong-Singapore (2.7 million, down 3.2 per cent).

As well, the top five domestic passenger airport-pairs were also all in the Asia-Pacific region, led by Jeju-Seoul Gimpo (11.1 million, up 7.1 per cent over 2014), followed by Sapporo-Tokyo Haneda (7.8 million, up 1.3 per cent), Fukuoka-Tokyo Haneda (7.6 million, down 7.4 per cent), Melbourne Tullamarine-Sydney (7.2 million, down 2.2 per cent) and Beijing Capital-Shanghai Hongqiao (6.1 million, up 6.1 per cent) respectively.