The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Manila together with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) participated at the Philippines’ biggest tourism fair, PTAA Travel Tour Expo 2020, on 7-9 February 2020 at the SMX Convention Center-Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.
The Sri Lankan Pavilion was designed to showcase the country’s tourism promotion brand “So Sri Lanka”. The inauguration was held with the lighting of the traditional oil lamp by the expo’s guest of honor, Secretary of Tourism of the Philippines Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Philippines Shobini Gunasekera, PTAA President Jose. Ma. Renard Gregory B. Tuaño and distinguished guests.
The widely-received Sri Lankan Pavilion attracted and piqued the interest of expo visitors looking for their next travel destination.
The Sri Lankan tourism industry was represented in the said event by four travel agencies namely NKAR Travel and Tours, Jetwing Travels, Lanka Sportreizen and Aitken Spence Travels. Expo visitors, mostly avid travelers and travel agents, eagerly inquired on the packages and destinations in Sri Lanka in preparation for their next travels.
Further, visitors were also given a glimpse of the proud heritage of culture and performing arts of Sri Lanka by the superb rendition of traditional Kandyan and low country dances, by a dance troupe from Sri Lanka. The enthralled visitors also savored best tasting and high-quality authentic Ceylon tea as they enjoyed the performances.
The Philippines, now an emerging inbound tourism source for Sri Lanka, contributes significantly to tourist arrivals in the country with 19,000 arrivals in 2018. Filipino travelers are observed to be enticed with destinations characterized with new escapades involving wildlife, cultural heritage, shopping, and culinary attractions.
The 27th PTAA Travel Tour Expo 2020 continues to be the country’s premier tourism and travel exhibition. The highly-anticipated yearly expo gathers travel and trade industry partners alongside allied industries such as airlines, hotels, and other major industry players. Organized by the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, the leading tourism association in the Philippines, the expo attracted approximately 100,000 visitors in 2019 and was participated in by around 400 local and international travel agencies, tourism boards and industry partners. In addition, the expo is strategically scheduled in the first quarter of the year to cater to the Philippine outbound tourism peak season of the summer months and the holidays.
