SLCB, SriLankan and Thomas Cook India target strong MICE market from Mumbai

From left: Rajiv Kale, Chaminda Dias, Meera Charnalia, Jacqueline Fernandez, Prema Cooray, Ajith Dias and Saroja Sirisena

Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) partnering with Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, India’s leading integrated travel and travel-related financial services company, hosted an exclusive corporate event in collaboration with SriLankan Airlines to harness the significant demand for MICE travel to Sri Lanka, across both mid and large Indian corporates and SMEs.

The exclusive, by-invite only corporate event, held at St. Regis in Mumbai, was graced by the crème de la crème of the corporate world and important dignitaries including Consul General of Sri Lanka in Mumbai Saroja Siresena. A special invitee was Sri Lankan-born Bollywood celebrity Jacqueline Fernandez.

The evening commenced with a welcome address by Rajeev Kale, President and Country Head - Leisure Travel, MICE, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. Prema Cooray – Chairman Sri Lanka Convention Bureau then highlighted the exciting array of Sri Lanka’s MICE opportunities in his passionate presentation, followed by Ajith Dias – Chairman SriLankan Airlines. Chaminda Dias, Managing Director, LuxeAsia, Sri Lanka (a Thomas Cook India subsidiary), then detailed the on-ground MICE USPs offered by destination Sri Lanka.

Commenting on the partnership, Kale said, “The MICE business at Thomas Cook India has been a powerful growth engine with strong year-on-year (YoY) growth of over 25 percent over the last five years. Sri Lanka is a land steeped in history, with an exciting diversity of spectacular experiences coupled with easy access of an under five hour flight and a simple evisa/visa on arrival; equally, deluxe accommodation options and MICE facilities, making for a viable short-haul favourite. Our partnership with the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau is hence a strategic initiative to tap into India’s high potential corporates to ensure strong impetus to MICE movements from India.”

He added, “This exclusive corporate event is a first step towards a deeper corporate engagement: our holistic approach will include both product development-training and corporate outreaches to showcase the true potential of Destination Sri Lanka.”