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New Zealand keen to promote Sri Lanka: HC tells tourism expo
View(s):By Wasantha Ramanayake
New Zealand is keen to promote Sri Lanka as a key tourist destination, and hopes tourist arrivals would exceed 20,000 in 2026, High Commissioner David Pine said in Colombo yesterday.
David Pine
Delivering the keynote address at the inaugural ceremony of ‘Sri Lanka Tourism Expo 2026′ marking World Tourism Day 2026 at One Galle Face, Colombo, the High Commissioner added that over 13,000 New Zealand tourists had visited the island last year.
The International Development and Cooperation Department of UN Tourism has intensified its ground support to member states, Jaime Mayaki, Director of IDCD, UN Tourism, told the gathering. As part of their support UN Tourism would convert its vision of sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism into measurable results, he said. “In Sri Lanka, we have been asked to define best practices for visitor management and design a visitor experience model to improve tourist satisfaction and preserve historical sites,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe said the Sustainable Tourism Unit of the University of Colombo (STUUoC) engages with industry stakeholders encouraging innovation and youth engagement for the betterment of the entire industry.
Nishad Wijetunga, immediate past president of Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) said that they had jointly organised Colombo Travel Mart with the STUUoC as part of the Sri Lanka Tourism Expo 2026. Industry collaboration is the way forward for the tourism industry, and the Colombo Travel Mart evolved from last year’s mini travel mart, he said, adding that they would strive to make it a major travel fair in future.
Jaime Mayaki. Pix by Dineth Gunaratne
STUUoC Head Prof Suranga Silva pointed out that Sri Lanka Tourism Expo 2026 consists of a host of other important events including tourism job fair, international tourism research conference and international leader summit.
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) chairman Buddhika Hewawasam also spoke.
Over 70 industry stakeholders took part in the first Colombo Travel Mart, which was held in Colombo yesterday. Colombo Tourism Job Fair will be held today (Sunday 28) at the same venue and the 10th International Tourism Research Conference and International Leader Summit will be held at the BMICH on October 1 and 2 respectively.
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