The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) successfully participated in the 42 nd edition of FITUR International Travel Mart, held from January 18th to 22nd, 2023 in Madrid, Spain. The exhibition, which is one of the world's leading trade fairs for tourism, organized by IFEMA Madrid, brought together 8360 exhibiting companies, 82,000 trade participants, and over 30,000 members of the general public.
The Sri Lanka pavilion was ceremonially opened by Mr. Chalaka Gajabahu, Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in Barcelona, Mr. Agustin Llanas, along with Sri Lankan travel industrialists.
The Sri Lanka pavilion highlighted the country's rich culture, natural beauty, Ayurveda, and other potential tourism offerings. Ceylon tea was served to visitors as part of an effort to
promote the product in the Spanish market. On the sidelines of the fair, SLTPB officials participated in events organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and held discussions with Mr. Harry Hwang, Director of Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO, to promote Sri Lanka as a tourism destination. The SLTPB and Sri Lanka Embassy in France also arranged business meetings, exclusive media interviews, and airline meetings at the fair.
Spain is considered as a high-potential market for Sri Lanka tourism, with 12,895 Spanish tourists visiting Sri Lanka in 2022. The participation in FITUR and the engagements with the
media during the fair provided an opportunity to highlight the updates and create awareness about the destination. The Embassy of Sri Lanka in France extended its fullest cooperation to
SLTPB for a successful participation at the exhibition.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Paris
30 January 2023