Scheduled from July 6–9 in Colombo, the 67th Convention of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) is set to be attended by the President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka as well as other key dignitaries and delegate members of both the countries.

The President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected to preside as the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony of the 67th Convention of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), the oldest and largest association of the travel trade in India.

According to a press statement by TAAI, the Sri Lankan President will address the delegates during the event, which will take place in Colombo from July 6–9, welcoming them to Sri Lanka.

Another key personage, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunawardena shall be a part of the event on July 7 at Lemon Trees, the Prime Minister’s Residence for all delegates of the Indian Travel Congress.

TAAI says that the business sessions lined up for the Convention will focus on several key topics such as ‘India Tourism Vision 2047: A Transformed Landscape of Experiences and Connections, The boundless potential of the skies’, ‘Experiential Travel: A Paradigm Shift in Tourism’, ‘NEXTAAI: The TAAI Members’ Technology initiative’, ‘Differentiating Travel: Perspectives from Industry Experts’, ‘Transcending Borders: Strengthening International Relations for a Transformed World’ and ‘TAAI : The Road Ahead’.

The statement adds that the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Bagley will also address the inaugural ceremony.

“The focus of the Convention this year is completely futuristic. The pandemic is done and over with. While it was tragic, brutal and truly devastating, the time is now right for us to move forward. When we are talking about Transcending Borders, we refer to the crossing borders of countries because tourism doesn’t need any borders. Tourism brings prosperity and peace to every country and it is a highly economic driven sector, which is the backbone of every country. But we at TAAI, would like to go beyond the Transcending Borders, because even in life, you have to transcend all your thoughts and literally break the glass ceiling and this is where tourism is going. Tourism is changing dramatically. People are not interested in the same type of travel. They are looking for new adventures and fresh destinations. So just as you have evolved, your mind needs to evolve too. We need to focus on how growth can happen and not live in our past. We need to Transcend minds to Transform lives,” says Jyoti Mayal, President TAAI.

As the date for the upcoming 67th TAAI Convention and Exhibition in Colombo draws closer, the association says it has lined up an interesting and invigorating mix of knowledge sessions and speakers to keep the delegates engaged during the Convention. Scheduled to take place from July 6 – 9, the Convention has received overwhelming response and the delegation size has 500 stakeholder member partners from India, it adds.

The statement adds that on the final day of the Convention, there will be a special address by Harin Fernando, Minister of Tourism and Lands, Sri Lanka.

“Our convention will serve as a conduit for fostering stronger bi-lateral relationships between India and Sri Lanka. With around 200 Sri Lankan tourism stakeholders participating in the B2B sessions, we expect this event to be a fruitful venue for networking and establishing strong business relations. Such interaction is vital in harnessing the growth of inbound and outbound travel from India and channelling it towards destinations that offer new, exciting experiences,” says Jay Bhatia, Vice President, TAAI.

“The Indian market will undoubtedly become one of the most sought-after markets globally, given the immense potential for outbound travel. As we all prepare to gather in Colombo, let us seize this opportunity to explore these trends, share our insights, and work together to shape a future where travel transcends borders and truly transforms lives,” adds Mayal.