Travel agents’ association, TAAI, says it has successfully concluded its 67th Convention in Sri Lanka that was inaugurated for the first time ever by Head of the State, President of Sri Lanka.

India’s largest and oldest travel trade association, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) says that the 67th TAAI Convention and Exhibition that recently concluded in Colombo in Sri Lanka was a resounding success. In a press statement, TAAI says that never in history has the President of the host country been a part of the Convention, as was the case this time.

TAAI adds that the Sri Lankan hospitality was at its best and the hosts left no stone unturned in organising a ‘wonderful and memorable’ experience for all the delegates and the ‘insightful and invigorating’ business sessions at the Convention kept the audience captive.

The inaugural function of the 67th Convention commenced at the BMICH in Colombo and the Convention centred around the profound connection shared by India and Sri Lanka, showcasing the vibrant essence of Sri Lankan culture through a mesmerising performance by the renowned Channa Upuli Dance Troupe.

Nishad Wijetunga, President of Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) kicked off the proceedings with a welcome address. The session was also addressed President of TAAI Jyoti Mayal and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay, with both emphasising the significance of India-Sri Lanka relations in the context of tourism. President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremasinghe,  who was the Chief Guest on the occasion, further reiterated the profound bond between the two nations with a brilliant speech that highlighted the awe-inspiring sights found in Sri Lanka.

TAAI says that the Day 2 of the convention kick-started with B2B meetings between Indian and Sri Lankan travel trade partners and an address by Minister of Tourism and Lands of Sri Lanka Harin Fernando.

The session on “India Tourism Vision 2047: A Transformed Landscape of Experiences and Connections” witnessed participation by former Secretary Tourism, Government of India, Arvind Singh, Managing Director, Thomas Cook India Madhavan Menon, Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer, Air India; K.B. Kachru, Chairman Emeritus & Principal Advisor, South Asia, Radisson Hotels Group Nipun Agarwal and moderated by Ashish Gupta, Consulting CEO, FAITH.

On the occasion, presentations were made by CEO Indigo airlines Pieter Elbers and Chairman Sri Lanka Convention Bureau Tisum Jayasuriya. A- discussion on potential of aviation was moderated by Kapil Kaul, CEO and Director, CAPA India with panellists Amitabh Khosla, Country Director, India, IATA, Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air, Rajeev Bhatia, Chief Commercial Officer, Amadeus India, Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, Indigo and Richard Nuttall, CEO, Sri Lankan Airlines.

A reception was on Day 2 was held at the Cinnamon Grand hotel in Colombo with dance performances and oriental music to accompany the dinner.

“For us it was important to stick to our commitment of holding the Convention in Sri Lanka. I personally believe that Sri Lanka as a destination has much to offer and as a neighbouring country, we must do everything in our power to help the country come out of the economic crisis. India’s relationship with BIMSTEC countries presents a significant opportunity for enhancing tourism ties and we all must work upon it. We are thrilled to be hosted by Sri Lanka and completely overwhelmed by the warm response that we have received. I am confident that this Convention will prove to be a milestone in the India–Sri Lanka relations and also the country’s tourism graph,” said Jyoti Mayal, President of TAAI.

“We have a target of 4 million tourists and we are confident of achieving it because India is our Number 1 source market. We are not just a beach destination but also a beautiful island that is brimming with touristic offerings, we are a 365 days destination. Sri Lanka is called the Pearl of the Indian Ocean for its beauty and multitude attractions,” said Minister Fernando, who also remarked Mayal had remained a loyal friend of Sri Lanka and stuck to her commitment of holding the Convention in the country, obstacles notwithstanding.

Day 3, the final day of the convention, took delegates to a new venue, the Shangri-La Colombo where the morning started with the signing of the MoU between Nexus DMC CEO Vinay Gupta and TAAI President for its new landmark website, NexTAAI. “The total size of the global tourism sector is USD 8 trillion and with NexTAAI we have combined the strength of people with innovation, experience and relations. This is the first time that an association has taken such a move for its members,” said Gupta, who also explained how TAAI members could make use of this new portal to create flawless itineraries in a short span of time and also do easy follow-ups and changes.

The day also saw a B2B session showcasing the best of Sri Lanka’s Accommodation Providers and Destination Management Companies.

TAAI says that a stunning finale to its Convention was organised with a night of scintillating entertainment at the Heritance Negombo hotel. Set overlooking golden beaches of Negombo, the TAAI delegates were treated to the very best of English, Sinhala, Tamil and Hindi entertainment with various performances that were complimented by dances, fireworks and a lavish dinner.