The Hindu Business Line : SriLankan brings in new faces to KTM

Addressing a press conference, Mr Manoj Gunawardena, Head of Worldwide Passenger sales, SriLankan said: "Over and above the regular buyers from Britain, France, Spain and other European countries, we have brought new buyers and writers from non-traditional regions like China and Japan. These are new markets with increasing purchasing power and a growing urge to travel."

SriLankan has bought a team of 20 buyers and writers from Japan and five from China, which is a huge tourism generating market. Being a destination driven airlines, SriLankan promotes individual destinations and capitalises on the travel requirements of the tourists and passengers visiting these destinations.

The traditional Japanese tourists came to destinations seeking cultural and religious affinities.

There is a new segment of young working women with substantial amount of purchasing power out to see the world, enjoy new experiences, cuisine and pursuing alternative health therapies like ayurveda, Mr Gunawardena said.

Viable alternative

While Cambodia, Vietnam and other South East Asian countries with cultural and religious linkages have been the major destinations for Japanese traveller, they are beginning to look beyond them and Kerala could prove a viable alternative.

The airline is also well equipped to meet all the travel aspirations of its passengers. Kerala is the biggest destinations of SriLankan Airlines in India, with 32 flights operating a week and the only foreign airlines operating to the Kozhikode airport. This enables the tourists whom we bring to the Thiruvananthapuram airport to travel up along tourist destinations such as Munnar, Thekkady, Kumarakom backwaters, Kochi and Wayanad, before they fly out from Kozhikode, Ms Asha Subramanian, Sales Manager, SriLankan Airlines, said.

And from Colombo, the airlines is also well connected with all major destinations of the world, Mr Nirmalli Paldano, senior Media Relations Executive of SriLankan, said.

More Stories on : Airlines | Strategy | Kerala

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
New entrants grow at the cost of legacy air carriers

SriLankan brings in new faces to KTM

Civil Aviation Ministry looks at steps to control sickness

Indian plans to sell surplus miles to others

Indian gets $540-m German aid

Stiff tax regime forces shipowners to flag out vessels

IPBC to implement freight hike through rate restoration initiative

Sical Logistics buys Bergen Offshore for $96.9 m

MMRDA nod for Rs 6,192-cr metro link proposal