Charters from Poland to add volume
View(s):Aitken Spence has increased its generation of tourist traffic from charters cruising back to a popular past trend to increase the numbers by adding on the Polish market this year.
Considered the largest tourism company in the country, the company was able to bring in 153,000 travellers last year with a growth rate of 19.9 per cent that is higher than the national figure of 14 per cent. This year the growth rate is expected to increase by 15 per cent.
Five charters from five different countries would be welcomed from markets like Sweden, Finland, the UK and Russia. This year except for Italy they would be able to generate traffic from these countries and the new Poland market, Aitken Spence Managing Director Travels Nalin Jayasundere told the Business Times.
The charters from Poland would come in once in 10 days from November to March next year carrying 180 tourists per flight and staying at three to five star locations on round tours and beach excursions for those based at beach resorts.
With about 60 cruise lines calling at the Colombo Port, Aitken Spence is said to be handling about 27 of the vessels and bringing in the traffic to the country and there are strong expectations for this segment to continue to grow, he noted. The cruise segments were able to generate about 13,000 clients per year.
The Scandinavian market which was not doing big numbers has revived with the charters and though the Russian economy was down the previous year the company was able to get a charter from there as well.
Tour operators have more confidence in Sri Lanka and if they are supported more by state tourism agencies through joint promotions that would help look at Sri Lanka more positively.