A high profile business delegation from Brazil, consisting of twelve leading tour operators and destination promoters will be in Sri Lanka on a familiarization tour from 03rd to 10th December 2014. The tour is being jointly organized by the Sri Lanka Embassy in Brazil and Aitken Spence Travels of Sri Lanka.
With increasing disposable income, Brazil is becoming an important source for global tourism, especially for Asian countries. According to Euromonitor International, the number of outbound tourist trips from Brazil continued to increase strongly in 2013, growing by more than 12% to reach 9.1 million trips. This increase was well above Latin America´s average of 7% for the same year.
Asia has become one of the new destinations for many Brazilians and an increasing number of tourists visit Asian countries every year. Thailand alone receives more than 40,000 tourists from Brazil annually. Raidho, a leading Brazilian tour operator, said that Sri Lanka will be a highly demanded destination by many Brazilians in years to come.
Speaking at a recent meeting at his official residence to promote the familiarization tour, , Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Brazil, Raja Edirisuriya said that attracting Brazilian tourists is only a matter of making them aware of the uniqueness of Sri Lanka as a tourist destination. He was optimistic that tourist arrivals from Brazil which was 803 last year (2013) can be increased substantially if an effective promotional campaign is launched. Ambassador Edirisuriya further said that the Embassy is making every effort to promote Sri Lanka tourism in Brazil and in other Latin American countries.
Aitken Spence Travels, which is one of the leading travel companies with a proven track record, has arranged a very comprehensive programme for the delegation. During the nine-day familiarization programme the Brazilian tour operators will have the opportunity of visiting many important touristic places including the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, Kandalama, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Habarana, Kandy, tea plantations in Nuwara Eliya, Yala National Park, Galle, Ahungalla, Balapitiya, Kosgoda and Waskaduwa.
Financial assistance for the programme is being extended by Aitken Spence Travels while Etihad Airlines provided discounted air tickets for the delegation. Mr. Premathilake Jayakody, First Secretary (Commercial) of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Brazil will engage in promotional activities with Aitken Spence Travels throughout the familiarization tour.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Brasilia
26 November 2014
