Sri Lankan Travel Inc.
Transcript of Sri Lankan Travel Inc.
ri Lanka's national carrier,
Sr iLankan A i r l ines has Sintroduced attractive, special
fares, from USA and Canada to
Colombo. These fares offered in
combination with Air Canada,
American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
Airlines and US Airways, are valid
from April to August .
Sri Lanka, nestling at the tip of the
Indian subcontinent, is an island of
vast bio diversity, history, culture and
cuisine. Often called the Paradise
Island its 65,610 square kilo meters
mass of land, is a journey of discovery
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for visitors offering everything from
pristine beaches, turquoise ocean, to lush
green hills in the central country
dominated by tea plantations, wild life
parks, heritage sites, bargain shopping
and a tropical mix of spicy cuisine.Sri Lanka, once called the “finest island of
its size in all the world” by Marco Polo,
offers its visitors an amazing travel
experience, enhanced with warmth and
hospitality inherent in its people, which is
the hallmark of service on board
SriLankan Airlines.
The country's natural water ways, from its
cascading waterfalls, to its natural lakes
and rivers, are popular for rafting,
canoeing and a surf point in the south east
of the country, called Arugam Bay, is rated
one of the top ten surfing destinations in
the world, drawing many competitors
from North America to participate in
international surfing events organised by
SriLankan Airlines. The airline has also used its abundant
water ways to operate domestic flights to
many parts of the country. SriLankan Air
Taxi, which only lands on water, takes
passengers to any part of the country,
within an hour which provides a
panoramic view of the breath taking
landscape of the country.National Geographic Traveller magazine
recently rated Sri Lanka among its six
best destinations to travel in 2012. SriLankan Airlines has partnerships with
several US and Canadian carriers, to
ensure seamless connections, across
continents, the most recent code share
agreement being with Air Canada, in
October last year. The airline operates wide-body aircraft
with luxurious interiors, flat bed seating,
and state of the art audio video on
demand (AVOD) entertainment systems,
to all its long haul destinations.SriLankan Airlines operates daily to
London and is the only carrier to have a
non-stop service to Colombo from
London. Sr iLankan f l ies to 60
destinations in 33 countries.For reservations, Passengers and agents
can contact the nearest SriLankan
Airlines office or Travel agency.
The International Air Transportation
Association (IATA) names SriLankan
Airlines’ International Aviation Academy
(IAA) as one of its ten best Authorised
Training Centres (ATC) in South Asia, for
2012. The award is a formidable
endorsement o f the ou ts tand ing
contribution by IAA in developing human
capital for tomorrow’s air transport industry
and related sectors.
“It gives us great pride and encouragement
to receive this recognition from the world’s
top aviation trade organisation and
strengthens the IAA in its pursuit of
excellence, to empower human resources
to face tomorrow’s aviation challenges” said
SriLankan Airlines’ Head of Human
Resources, Pradeepa Kekulawala.
The award was based on IAAs strategic
direction and progress, quality of delivery,
and end result on an overall high aggregate
of 90 per cent.
The IAA is the training and development arm
of SriLankan Airlines Limited. Its portfolio
provides more than 80 training modules
under five faculties (Management & Sales;
Information Technology; Passenger, Cargo
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& Safety). It is a total solutions provider of
skills, knowledge and inter-personal skills
training for all employees of SriLankan.
The IAA which has an IATA regional training
status, conducts globally recognised
professional aviation training in Sri Lanka
and the Maldives. IAA also works closely
with the United Federation of Travel Agents
Association (UFTAA), the Federation of
Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA),
University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka’s Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA) and Airport &
Aviation. Partnering the CAA, the IAA is
engaged in launching aviation clubs in Sri
Lanka’s schools in support of the
government’s ‘Guwansara’ Programme
which aims to create awareness and
interest in the global aviation industry,
amongst the younger generation.
IAA is consistently striving towards
becoming the most preferred training
partner and catalyst of south Asia’s aviation
industry by providing the widest portfolio of
world class aviation training. It also aims to
be a viable business partner by converting
aviation training into profit generating
business.
Over 60 years, IATA has developed the
commercial standards that built a global
industry. Today, IATA's mission is to
represent, lead and serve the airline
industry. Its members comprise some 240
airlines - the world's leading passenger and
cargo airlines among them - representing
84% of total air traffic.
SriLankan’s association with the IATA
Training and Development Institute (ITDI) is
progressively becoming stronger and is an
invaluable support to the development of the
IAA. The ITDI currently offers a continuously
expanding portfolio of over 400 courses and
a wide range of diplomas in the fields of
Airlines, Airports, Civil Aviation, Air
Navigation Services, Cargo, Safety and
Security, as well as Management and
Training Skills from entry level to senior
managers. ITDI delivers training at more
than 200 locations worldwide to over 31,000
students annually from around the world.
Corporate Communications DepartmentSriLankan Airlines Limited
28th March, 2012
Business class passengers, departing Bandaranaike International Airport on SriLankan Airlines, to any of its 34 online destinations, could avail of a unique ‘Silk Route’ offer which streamlines check-in, customs, immigration & security formalities.
The ‘Silk Route’ experience, is the latest addition to SriLankan’s premium Business class product, commencing 15th March, 2012. There will be no more queues, as passengers will be met on arrival at the ‘Silk Route’ Departure entrance and escorted to the Silk Route
Lounge, while all travel formalities are finalised and the Boarding Pass is handed to the passenger.
Passengers can then look forward to be pampered at SriLankan Airlines’ Business Class lounge - Serendib, which offers a unique serene atmosphere with an exclusive 24-hour buffet which includes starters, main courses, salads, fruits, juices, snacks, desserts, alcoholic beverages and a choice of cocktails, smoothies and mocktails; Ayurvedic Spa treatment; sleepers for a quiet nap; shower rooms; smokers’ room; and an Internet Café complete with WiFi Zone, movies, Cable TV and 3D Games.
“ Our focus is to streamline the travel experience and with ‘Silk Route’ we open an exclusive area, avai lable to SriLankan’s Business Class and which is specially advantageous during peak times” said Saminda Perera, Country Manager, Sri Lanka & the Maldives.
SriLankan Airlines is progressing with its aircraft cabin interior upgrade in all its long-haul aircraft, expected to be complete by the middle of this year. The business class product offers the latest flat-bed seats with a seat pitch of 79 inches. All seats will be equipped with the latest Inflight Entertainment System with audio/video channels and video games. Business Class will also have an On-Demand Movie Library. SriLankan has already completed the upgrade in more than half of its long-haul fleet.
The Silk Route Lounge located at the Departure area of the BIA, is managed by Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. Corporate Communications DepartmentSriLankan Airlines
12th March, 2012
The Annual Staff Conference of
SriLankan Airlines GSA for North America was held on 20th
January, 2012 at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo, Sri
Lanka. Staff based in Canada, Colombo and US attended the
workshop which was a great success.
The workshop began with a welcome speech by Dillan
Ariyawansa, Senior Vice President North America for SriLankan
Airlines GSA. Worrel Casiechitty Manager HR & Admin & Laksiri
Fernando Manager Ticketing & Reservations were introduced.
Ajith De Alwis, Manager Sales & Operations conducted a
presentation on “Performance of Sri Lankan Travel, How to
Increase Sales and New Opportunities, whilst Manager
Canada, Lalith Wickremasinghe conducted a presentation on
“How to identify the Canada market/new development
potentials”. Manager Cargo, Shamike Perera spoke on “Cargo
Development in North America”, Paduma Samarakone
Manager Finance spoke on “Accounting Procedures” of the
company whilst Maria D`Souza did a presentation on “How to
improve Canada sales”. Dilshan Pitawalage, Sales Support &
Ticketing spoke on a new product “Tour Packages and how to
create awareness and get more business”.
External facilitators, Munshift Hussain Certified Trainer on Soft
Skills and Service Excellence conducted a presentation on
Motivation. It was a very exciting presentation where he
managed to get audience participation, while Ajitha
Sri Lankan Travel, Inc Gunawardena spoke on Telephone Ethics.
SriLankan Airlines Regional Manager for North America,
Senaka Fernando and Amitabh Anthonypillai, SriLankan`s
Global Alliance Manager were present at the workshop. Senaka
Fernando spoke briefly on the SriLankan Airlines operations and
gave a Product update and the synergies with the Budget
Carrier Mihin Lanka and spelt out that there is no competition or
conflicts between the two airlines.
There were two other guest speakers; Ehantha Sirisena –
OMAK Technologies who spoke about possible growth with
Internet Bookings and presented the newly developed Sri
Lankan Travel, Inc website and how it could be used for air ticket
purchases by the customers. Sanka from Jetwing made a
presentation regarding Inbound Tourism and offered assistance
in ground handling for our customers. He further elaborated on
new areas that could be promoted other than the traditional ones
usually promoted by all thereby winning over new customers.
The Outstanding Sales Achievement Award and a prize was
presented to Dilshan Pitawalage in recognition of his
Exceptional Sales Performance in year 2011. Buddhika Ranil
received a prize for best attendance record for year 2011. A Prize
was also awarded to Damith Tharanga.
Just prior to winding up Laksiri Fernando spoke about his joining
the company is not to police on the staff but to support them in
continuing their excellent work done and to assist them to do a
little extra and requested their co-operation in his endeavor.
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Sri Lanka Tourism and SriLankan Airlines took part at “The New
York Times Travel Show”, North America`s Premier Travel
Show, which was held at the prestigious Jacob K. Javits
Convention Centre in New York City from March 2 – 4, 2012.
The Sri Lanka Tourism booth was officially opened on Friday,
March 2, by H.E. Jaliya Wickramasuriya, Ambassador of Sri
Lanka to the United States, H.E. Dr. Palitha Kohona Sri Lanka`s
Permanent Representative to the United Nations, H.E. Major
General Shavendra Silva, Deputy Permanent Representative of
Sri Lanka to the United Nations and Mr. Dillan Ariyawansa, Head
of SriLankan Airlines GSA in North America and Honorary
Director for Sri Lanka Tourism in the USA along with
distinguished guests.
Tour Operators and Hoteliers from Sri Lanka participated at the
Sri Lanka Tourism booth, namely Varini De Silva of Ceylon
Express International, Dular Niyangoda of Newxplorer.com,
Raju Arasaratnam of Jetwing Travels, L.S.R. Dharmapala of
Lanka Sportreizen, Jan Van Twest of The Fortress Resort &
Spa, Afghar Mohideen and Gayangi Wirasinha of United
Holidays and Rajitha Rajapakse of Walkers Tours.
Sri Lanka's participation at the Show also included cultural
presentations. The world renowned Sri Lankan Dance troupe,
“Channa-Upuli,” flown in courtesy of SriLankan Airlines
performed on Saturday, March 3 from 1.15 - 1.30pm and 4.15 -
4.30pm followed by additional performances on Sunday, March
4 from 12.15 - 12.30pm and 2.15 - 2.30pm on the Asia Stage
which was one of five cultural stages at the Show featuring live
performances and culinary presentations from around the world.
Another main attraction at the booth was the life-sized elephant
made out of fiber, flown all the way from Colombo to New York in
one piece just for the Show!
Visitors to the Sri Lanka Tourism booth also had the opportunity
to sign up for a “show only raffle” for two complimentary return
air tickets to Colombo from New York courtesy of SriLankan
Airlines inclusive of a 3 night/4 day tour package of Sri Lanka.
The booth was always busy and over 4000 signed up for the
raffle draw which took place on the last day of the Show.
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American Cable Channels publicized the Show over the
weekend of March 3 - 4 featuring the Sri Lanka Tourism booth
amongst others.
This year's Show welcomed a total of 20,860 travelers and
industry professionals to a jam-packed three days of travel
sales and education. The trade attendance throughout the
three days was the highest ever with 6,334 industry
professionals attending the Travel Industry Conference &
Expo on Friday and throughout the weekend. Sri Lanka`s
participation at the Show proved to be a success with many
American Tour Operators, Travel Writers and Tourists from all
over the U.S. showing a great deal of interest in visiting Sri
Lanka.
Photography by Sagara Lakmal De Mel.
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Exclusive Agents for....
In 2011 Pacific Holidays, New York's
premier outbound tour operator servicing
destinations in Asia, Latin American and
the South Pacific, in direct cooperation
with SriLankan Airlines, hosted a travel
agent familiarization trip to Sri Lanka that I
had the privilege to accompany. The
entire group of travel agents from the
United States and Canada were so
impressed by the beauty and amazing
cultural heritage of this truly diverse
nation.
The trip began with a night in Colombo at
the historic Pegasus Reef Hotel, where
we had our first Sri Lankan culinary
experience. The delicious Sri Lankan
food turned out to be one of the real
highlights of the trip.
Some of the other highlights of the trip
were the Elephant Orphanage in
Pinnawela, where we were delighted by
the baby elephants playing in the water
and running around the magnificent
scenery, and the rock fortress of Sigirya, a
monumental World Heritage Site with
breathtaking views. We spent one night at
the Sigiryia Village Hotel each having our
own special bungalows with charming
decoration. Strolling the property's
garden while admiring the flowers in
bloom and the beautifully manicured
grounds was a great experience.
After Sigiriya we visited the well
preserved remains of the medieval capital
of Polonnarawa and the Dambulla Cave
Temple where we marveled at the
enormous Buddhas and well kept
vestiges of an ancient civilization. We
were fortunate enough to overnight at
Mahaweli Reach Hotel on the banks of
Mahaweli River, where the high end
cuisine and impeccable staff in traditional
costume made for a remarkable stay.
There's so much to do in Kandy, our next
stop. We visited the Botanical Gardens
and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
of Buddha, finishing the day with a river
cruise at sunset to marvel at the lush
fauna and flora.
Just when I though the trip couldn't get
any better we arrived at Nuwara Eliya,
known as “little England,” were we stayed
at the Heritage Tea Factory Hotel. An old
Tea Factory with modern amenities and
tastefully decorated rooms, the Heritage
Hotel is perched on a mountain with
magnificent views and a gorgeous garden
full of flowers in bloom. We visited some
local tea factories and had the opportunity
to experience first hand the hard labor
that goes into collecting tea.
The entire group left Sri Lanka in love and
in awe of this little known destination. The
only regret was that we couldn't stay
longer, and I'm already hoping to return
soon. Sri Lanka is so appealing and its
beautiful lush scenery, tasteful dishes,
perfumed flowers, delicate historic
vestiges, and its musical people who love
to celebrate their culture in all occasions
truly overwhelms the sense. This is
certainly a place everyone ought to see at
least once in their lifetime.Marta Visu, VP Pacific Holidays
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Events in USA
thRoyal College Old Boys` East Coast Association 18 Annual Dinner Dance
The Royal College Old Boy`s East Coast Association had their annual dinner dance on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at The Royal Manor in
Garfield, New Jersey. SriLankan Airlines USA contributed 2 round trip economy class air tickets from New York/Colombo.
Trinity College Kandy Dinner Dance 2011
The Trinity College Kandy Alumni Association of Washington D.C. held a fund raiser dinner dance on April 2, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency
Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. A free economy class air ticket courtesy SriLankan Airlinesfrom London/Colombo/London was awarded
as a prize at this event.
Sri Lanka New Year Festival 2011
The Sri Lanka Association of New York and the Sri Lanka Arts Society New Jersey organized a Sri Lankan New Year Festival which was held
on May 1, 2011 at the Gardner Field Recreation Park in Denville, NJ. SriLankan Airlines provided a return airline ticket from London to
Colombo as a prize at the Raffle Draw at this event.
Dallas / Fort Worth Sri Lankan night 2011
On the 30th of April, the Sri Lankan community in North Texas came together for a night of live music, dinner, and dance called the DFW
Sri Lankan Night. The event was held as a fund raiser for the Texas Buddhist Meditation Center (TBMC), the only cultural and spiritual
center for the Sri Lankan community in North Texas. The concert was held at the Corral Barn in Plano, Texas. Several hundred Sri Lankan
families, well-wishers and friends attended the event. SriLankan Airlines was a sponsor of this event and provided a Digital Camera which
was drawn by Dr. Achala Ellepola for the winner Mrs. Nanayakkara of Frisco, Texas.
Colombo Express Challenger Trophy
Ten Cricket teams from the New York and the Tri-State area competed in a home-away-from -home
cricket carnival on Sunday, June 5th for the Colombo Express Challenge Trophy 8-a-side Cricket
Tournament along with a grand Ladies Cricket Match at the spacious Staten Island Psychiatric
Center grounds with a well-attended Sri Lankan gathering.The ten teams Colombo Express,
Lanka Lions, Eagles, Thunder, Sri Lanka Cricket Club, Sri Lak, Black Knights, Sinhabahu, I-Tech
and Unicom started play from 9.00 in the morning till sun-down with great enthusiasm and wild
cheering from the many young gathering.
There were several booths with kids enjoying various games while live music kept the crowd
in carnival mood. Lunch boxes were available in plenty while several booths served Sri Lankan
delicacies such as helapa, lavariya, etc. The attraction was the hopper stand with egg-hopper,
fish curry and katta sambol.
The Colombo Express Challenge Trophy was shared by Colombo Express and Sri Lanka Cricket
Club as the Tournament was a tie between the two teams.
A free air ticket courtesy SriLankan Airlines from New York/Colombo/New York was awarded as a prize for the raffle draw at this event.
Ananda College East Coast Cricket Festival
On June 11, 2011 the annual Ananda College East Coast Cricket Festival organized by the Ananda College Old Boys` Association (East
Coast Chapter) was held at the Tall Timbers Park in South Brunswick. The proceeds of the event are for supporting schools in Sri Lanka by
providing supplies and scholarships when possible. SriLankan Airlines gave away a free round trip air ticket from London to Colombo as a
prize for the raffle.
Sri Lanka Day Expo, Santa Monica +
Sri Lanka Day an annual one-day event presented by Sri Lanka Foundation took place on August 6, 2011 from 10Am to 10PM. at the world
famous Third Street Promenade of Santa Monica, California showcasing Sri Lankan musicians, dancers, food and business. A parade of
beautifully dressed Sri Lankan performers and theatre elephants paraded the Promenade and there was also a fashion show with
traditional and colorful Sri Lankan clothing. There were several booths offering the best and most unique Sri Lanka foods, goods and
services to visitors attending the Sri Lanka Day. Nalin Amarasinghe of SriLankan Airlines, USA conducted a FlySmiLes promotion
campaign offering “Bonus Mils” for those who signed up during the event. FlySmiLes is the Frequent Flyer Program of SriLankan Airlines
and it is open for free sign up.
Third Annual Sri Lanka DayrdThe town of Acton together with the Sri Lanka Association of New England (SLANE) hosted their 3 Annual Sri Lanka Day in Acton on
August 13, 2011 at the Nara Park in Acton, Massachusetts. The event is an exposition of Sri Lankan culture and cuisine and visitors are able
to buy and sample a variety of Sri Lankan foods, arts and crafts, teas and spices. A wonderful event suitable for the entire family. SriLankan
Airlines gave away a free round trip air ticket from London to Colombo.
Charity Gala – Foundation of Goodness
A Charity Gala featuring Sri Lankan Cricketers Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitheran and Aravinda De Silva, organized by the thFoundation of Goodness was held at the Los Angeles Sheraton Gateway Hotel on 13 August 2011. There were live performances by
Chaminda Walpola with Preetysha and The Fabulous De Bois Band – Entourage. Two economy class round trip air tickets from New York
or Los Angeles to Colombo, courtesy SriLankan Airlines was awarded as the Grand Prize of the raffle drawn at the event.
Resplendent Land of Sri Lanka +
thPresentations on Sri Lanka byMr. Lakshman Ratnapala, Foreign Travel Club (FTC) Chairman took place on 27 October at the Marines
Memorial Club in San Francisco for the Foreign Travel Club of San Francisco. These presentations feature beautiful photos that show the
rich, diversity of Sri Lanka which Mr. Ratnapala spoke about. Lakshman brought along gifts of pure Ceylon Tea and photo books courtesy
Sri Lanka Tourism and a round trip air ticket from London to Colombo offered by SriLankan Airlines as a door prize which was won by Ms.
Jaqueline Lozada-Javier, Manager of the Broadmoor Hotel in San Francisco. thAnother presentation on Sri Lanka by Mr. Ratnapala to the PATA San Jose Chapter took place on 6 December 2011 at the Shiva`s
restaurant in California which will be followed by apresentation to the San Francisco Bay Area Travel Writers at the Presidio Library, San thFrancisco on February 15 2012.
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Ten Cricket teams from the New York and the Tri-State area
competed in a home-away-from -home cricket carnival on
Sunday, June 5th, 2011 for the Colombo Express Challenge
Trophy 8-a-side Cricket Tournament along with a grand
Ladies Cricket Match at the spacious Staten Island
Psychiatric Center grounds with a well-attended Sri Lankan
gathering. The ten teams Colombo Express, Lanka Lions,
Eagles, Thunder, Sri Lanka Cricket Club, Sri Lak, Black
Knights, Sinhabahu, I-Tech and Unicom started play from
9.00 in the morning till sun-down with great enthusiasm and
wild cheering from the many young gathering.
There were several booths with kids enjoying various games
Colombo Express Challenge Trophywhile live music kept the crowd in carnival mood. Lunch boxes
were available in plenty while several booths served Sri
Lankan delicacies such as helapa, lavariya, etc. The
attraction was the hopper stand with egg-hopper, fish curry
and katta sambol.
The Colombo Express Challenge Trophy was shared by
Colombo Express and Sri Lanka Cricket Club as the
Tournament was a tie between the two teams.
A free air ticket courtesy SriLankan Airlines from New
York/Colombo/New York was awarded as a prize for the raffle
draw at this event.
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On June 11, 2011 the annual Ananda College East Coast
Cricket Festival organized by the Ananda College Old Boys`
Association (East Coast Chapter) was held at the Tall Timbers
Park in South Brunswick. The proceeds of the event were
Sri Lanka Day an annual one-day event presented by Sri
Lanka Foundation took place on August 6, 2011 from 10AM to
10PM at the world famous Third Street Promenade of Santa
Monica, California showcasing Sri Lankan musicians,
dancers, food and business. A parade of beautifully dressed
Sri Lankan performers and theatre elephants paraded the
Promenade and there was also a fashion show with traditional
and colorful Sri Lankan clothing. There were several booths
used for supporting schools in Sri Lanka by providing supplies
and scholarships when possible. SriLankan Airlines gave
away a free round trip air ticket from London to Colombo as a
prize for the raffle.
offering the best and most unique Sri Lanka foods, goods and
services to visitors attending the Sri Lanka Day. Late Nalin
Amarasinghe of SriLankan Airlines, USA conducted a
FlySmiLes promotion campaign offering “Bonus Miles” for
those who signed up during the event. FlySmiLes is the
Frequent Flyer Program of SriLankan Airlines and it is open for
free sign up.
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A Charity Gala featuring Sri Lankan Cricketers Sanath
Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitheran and Aravinda De Silva,
organized by the Foundation of Goodness was held at the Los thAngeles Sheraton Gateway Hotel on 13 August 2011. There
were live performances by Chaminda Walpola with Preetysha
The De Mazenod College OBU had their annual dinner dance
on November 5, 2011 at the Twin Brooks Country Club in
Watchung, New Jersey. A free return air ticket from London to
The Sri Lanka Medical Association of North America held their
annual Dinner Dance at the New York Hilton on November 12,
2011. SLMANA is a non-profit organization of Physicians of
Sri Lankan origin and the primary goal of SLMANA is
charitable work in Sri Lanka. A free round trip air ticket New
The town of Acton together with the Sri Lanka Association of rdNew England (SLANE) hosted their 3 Annual Sri Lanka Day
in Acton on August 13, 2011 at the Nara Park in Acton,
Massachusetts. The event is an exposition of Sri Lankan
culture and cuisine and visitors are able to buy and sample a
variety of Sri Lankan foods, arts and crafts, teas and spices. A
wonderful event suitable for the entire family. SriLankan
Airlines gave away a free round trip air ticket from London to
Colombo.
and The Fabulous De Bois Band – Entourage. Two economy
class round trip air tickets from New York or Los Angeles to
Colombo, courtesy SriLankan Airlines was awarded as the
Grand Prize of the raffle drawn at the event.
Colombo courtesy SriLankan Airlines was offered to the
winner of the raffle draw.
York/Colombo was provided courtesy SriLankan Airlines for
this event to raise funds for SLMANA`s mission of health and
humanitaring charitable work in a needy are of Sri Lanka.
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Presentations on Sri Lanka Tourism were conducted by Emeritus President & CEO of PATA, Mr. Lakshman Ratnapala, to travel industry audiences in five locations in California recently. The first was to the Foreign Travel Club (FTC) of San Francisco of which Mr. Ratnapala is Chairman, on 27th October 2011. A round trip air ticket from London to Colombo offered by SriLankan Airlines as a door prize at this event was won by Ms. Jaqueline Lozada-Javier, Manager of the Broadmoor Hotel in San Francisco.
The second presentation on Sri Lanka by Mr. Ratnapala to the
Winner Ms. Jaqueline Lozada-Javier receiving the SriLankan Airlines ticket from
Mr. Lakshman Ratnapala with the President of the FTC (at center).
PATA San Jose Chapter took place on 6th December 2011 in the town of Mountain View, followed by a third presentation to the San Francisco Bay Area Travel Writers Inc. (BATW) of which Mr. Ratnapala is a Director, on February 15th 2012. A round trip air ticket from London to Colombo, awarded by SriLankan Airlines as a door prize at this event, was won by Mary Jean Pramik, Principal of Communications, LLC. Other prizes of hotel stays in Sri Lanka were awarded by Jetwing Hotels and Mahaweli Reach Hotel. Ceylon Express International in Los Angeles gifted packets of pure Ceylon tea, while Mr. Ratnapala gave away books on Sri Lanka.
The most recent presentations on Sri Lanka were in the Southern California cities of Newport Beach, to the PATA Orange County Chapter on February 29 and in Los Angeles to the PATA SoCal Chapter on March 1, 2012, attended by Sri Lanka's Consul General on the U.S. West Coast, Dr. and Mrs. Hector Weerasinghe.
All presentations were well attended and were marked by animated audience discussions on Sri Lanka's tourism attractions, current marketing and future development plans. Travel industry interest created by these presentations has already resulted in new tour packages to Sri Lanka being included in upcoming programs slated for 2013.
Winner Ms. Mary Jean Pramik receiving the SriLankan Airlines ticket from Mr. Lakshman Ratnapala.
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By Lakshman RatnapalaEmeritus President & CEO of Pacific Asia Travel AssociationChairman, Enelar InternationalSan Francisco, California
The celebrated storyteller Mark Twain (1835-1910) wrote, "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover."
As more and more people take that advice to heart, and set off to explore and discover, global tourism will surge to heights reached never before with a record one billion visits across international boundaries this year.
In the process they will generate trillions of dollars for investment, create one in 12 jobs worldwide, enhance the lives of millions of people and open massive opportunities for the growth and development of countries, rich and poor, all across the world.
Because of its ability to create wealth, tourism plays a major role in achieving the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goals for prosperity, peace and sustainability.
New challenges such as climate change and poverty, hunger and disease make fulfilling these goals more complex and pressing.
Therefore, as the U.N. Summit on Sustainable Development or Rio+20 convenes in Brazil this June, tourism leaders need to forge active partnerships with other sectors of the global economy to reach an inclusive, equitable and sustainable future for all.
Tourism is like fire. If well managed it can serve us; if allowed to master us, it can burn us.
Tourism poses many challenges for the well-being of the global community and the health of our planet - from the cultural degradation of local communities to the complete destruction of their value systems.
What is more, tourists impair the health of the earth by over- visitation of fragile ecosystems and the emissions of CO2 and other pollutants from their modes of transport, from cars and buses to trains and planes.
The global travel industry is now faced with the challenge of making a conscious decision of how it wants to go, where it wants to go - somewhat like Robert Frost in his poem "The Road Not Taken": "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.... And sorry I could not travel both.....Two roads diverged in a wood, and I .... I took the one less traveled by..... And that has made all the difference."
Global tourism seems to have chosen the road "less traveled". Still, it is stumbling along, not quite sure how it will get to where it wants to go.
Responsible tourism demands that destinations, travel vendors and travelers alike unite in operating tours with a sensitivity to the social, cultural, natural and economic environments of the host
communities and of Mother Earth.
Towards that end, the industry has been fostering various forms of what is called sustainable tourism since the 1970s when the environmental movement began.
From this sprang today's popular concept of ecotourism. It nurtures the desire to travel to natural locations away from the man-made and built-up attractions, allowing the traveler to experience nature in its pristine glory, and to be educated about the culture and lifestyles of lesser known, poorly understood societies, off the beaten path.
Such visits create the beneficial effects of raising funds for the conservation of neglected natural landscapes and cultural monuments, as well as for the economic uplift of impoverished communities.
The flip side of the coin is that the growing popularity of ecotourism has led to abuse and exploitation of vulnerable environments and societies by unscrupulous tour and lodging operators, partly because of the absence of an internationally accepted single definition of what constitutes ecotourism, often interchanged with sustainable tourism, green tourism, nature tourism, etc.
Tourism organisations and conservationist groups have their own definitions of ecotourism. Individual tour operators and governments also muddy the water by promoting their own definitions.
In the broadest sense, however, ecotourism is travel to ecologically and culturally sensitive locations with the least negative impact thereon.
It is, of course, not possible for humans to travel anywhere without any negative impact, because even getting there causes environmental damage by the spread of carbon pollutants.
Airplanes are among the worst emitters of pollutants in the travel industry, although the International Air Transport Association counters that airplanes contribute only two percent of global manmade CO2 emissions - less than the flatulence of the cows in Europe!
Tourism will add 43 million more visitors every year, to top 1.8 billion arrivals by 2030, challenging the conservation of earth's resources more, even as these resources suffer more damage and become less available.
It is, therefore, critical that travelers be educated to be sensitive to the environments of the places they visit and understand they have a great responsibility to Mother Earth. In today's world of many interconnections, tourism cannot stand alone, and apart, from the global community.
We need to act together for the collective interest over self- interest. As Nelson Mandela discovered, "after climbing a great hill, one only finds there are many more hills to climb."
A Dinner Dance was organized by the St. Sebastian`s College
OBA, Canada and this was held on June 25, 2011 in
Mississauga Ontario. The main door prize and first prize for the
This is an annual musical event which took place on July 16,
2011 at the Scarborough Civic Center – Outdoor Auditorium at
Alberts Campbell Square. It is a well attended Summer event
that has already entertained Sri Lankans for the past years.
Lalith Wickremasinghe and Maria De Souza of SriLankan
The Ridhma Cultural Troup presented a concert “Glory of thSummer” held on September 10 , 2011 at the Don Bosco
Auditorium in Canada. Proceeds were in aid of Sanhinda
The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Ottawa organized a
Deepavali Celebration which was held on November 6, 2011 at
the Korean Cultural Centre for Education in Toronto. SriLankan
Wanni Dhanawardana, President of the Sinhalese Association Canada, Lalith Wickremasinghe, Manager Canada and Karunarthna Paranawithana, Sri Lanka Consul General for Toronto
Raffle was a free economy class air ticket from
London/Colombo/London courtesy SriLankan Airlines.
Airlines, Canada conducted a FlySmiLes promotion campaign
offering “Bonus Miles” for those who signed up during the
event. FlySmiLes is the Frequent Flyer Program of SriLankan
Airlines and it is open for free sign up.
Street Children`s Home, Sri Lanka. SriLankan Airlines co-
sponsored the concert.
Airlines contributed a free round trip air ticket from London/Colombo
as the grand prize.
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Miss Sri Lanka Canada USA Beauty Pageant 2011 took place at
the Hilton Suites Conference Centre in Markham Ontario on
October 22, 2011. The event, the only one of it`s kind in Toronto
among the members of the Sri Lankan community in Canada
and the USA was presented by the monthly Sri Lanka Reporter
and sponsored by Meleni David Law Offices, Meleni Homes and
Sorkkam. Sri Lankan entertainer Desmond De Silva was
specially flown from Australia for the pageant. 18 year old
Andrea Sriskandarajah claimed the coveted crown of Miss Sri
Lanka Canada USA 2011. She received a return air ticket
London to Colombo offered by SriLankan Airlines and a host of
other prizes. SriLankan Airlines also offered another return air
ticket London /Colombo as a door prize at the pageant which
was won by Ms. Malini Perera.
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SriLankan Airlines – Canada hosted a Holiday Dinner
Reception for its Travel Agents, Cargo Agents and Tour
Operators in Canada. This was held at the Holiday Inn Hotel &
Suites Toronto, Ontario on November 20, 2011. SriLankan
Airlines – USA representatives Dillan Ariyawansa, Ajith De
Alwis and Shamike Perera were present. Also present was the
Consul General for Sri Lanka in Toronto, Mr. Karunaratna
Paranavithana and Mr. Keith Delgado of Air Canada among
over 100 invitees. The welcome speech was delivered by Lalith
Wickremasinghe, Manager Canada while the vote of thanks
was delivered by Maria D`Souza, Sales Manager, Canada. The
evening featured performances by Sinhala vocalist Anusha
Jayasundara, Bharata Natyam dances by Saeetha
Pathmanathan, enchanting Cha Cha and Salsa dancing by
sisters Keshini and Nikini Samaranayake and some captivating
dancing by the sisters Hashinika and Mihini Molligoda,
Chamari Liyanage and Ruwandha Attygalle. A scrumptioius
dinner was followed by lovely music and singing by the music
band in attendance, Sampath and the Showcase, Cecil
Fernando, trumpeter, saxophonist and vocalist who was flown
from New York for the evening.
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SriLankan Airlines, the national airline of
Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Sri
Lanka High Commission, Ottawa, thCanada participated at the 18 “Travel &
Vacation Show” held at the New Ottawa
Convention Centre on March 10 & 11,
2012.
The staff of Sri Lankan Travel, Inc. record with sorrow the death of beloved friend and
colleague Nalin Amarasinghe, Manager West Coast, USA.
Nalin joined Sri Lankan Travel, Inc in 2000. He was an extremely hard worker in all areas of
his life and very dedicated to the company.
On January 28, 2012 Nalin passed away after a brief illness and was 56 years old at the
time of his death.
Nalin will be greatly missed but will remain always in our hearts.
Nalin is survived by his wife Sunari and his sons Nilanga, Roshan and Akain.
Taking part in the show were in excess of
200 exhibitors including Tourism Boards
of various countries, Embassies, Hotels
Travel Agents, Tour Operators and the
Canada Border Services Agency.
According to the event organizers, this
year's event drew record numbers
totalling 17,800 visitors. Curious visitors
in large numbers stopped by at the Sri
Lanka booth, eager to learn about this
resplendent Island and the many exciting
opportunities she has to offer the
discerning traveller. They helped
themselves freely to the many colorful
brochures on display at the booth.
SriLankan Airlines handed out its own
complementary 'Tea' packets to the
visitors.
H.E. Mrs. Chitranganee Wagiswara, High
Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Canada
and Lalith Wickremasinghe, Manager
Canada for SriLankan Airlines were
personally present to welcome the
visitors.
In the picture are :
H.E. Mrs. Chitranganee Wagiswara, High
Commissioner, Mr. Lional Premasiri,
Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Sumith
Dassanayake, Minister-Counsellor, Mr.
Lalith Wickremasinghe and few visitors to
the booth.
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Canada Office170, Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 301,
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US Office