Aitken Spence Travels welcomed 4,000 cruise tourists to Sri Lanka on the eve of the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year. The luxurious cruise ships, ‘MSC Poesia’ and ‘MSC Magnifica’, docked at the port of Colombo with an atmosphere full of excitement and celebrations.
Aitken Spence Travels shore excursion teams were on site, ready to delight these visitors with a wide variety of experiences that showcased the best of Sri Lanka during the holiday season. From exploring the vibrant local culture to traditional dance performances to enjoying the wonderful tuk-tuk rides to experiencing the city life and visiting a variety of attractions were offered to visitors.
Executive Director, Aitken Spence PLC, Head of Tourism and Leisure, Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena, said: “Sri Lanka was recently ranked in the Forbes list as one of the 23 best places to visit in 2023 and it is crucial that we maintain our position and become one of the most popular destinations not only in the South of Asia but also in Asia”.
“I am delighted that Aitken Spence Travels (Destination Management segment of Aitken Spence) has been instrumental in the growth of the cruise tourism operation which has obviously had a positive impact on other key industries such as hospitality, maritime transport and port companies to support the economy.”
Aitken Spence Travels Managing Director Nalin Jayasundera said: “We are delighted to be at the forefront of attracting a large volume of tourists to Sri Lanka. As a leading DMC, we will continue to work directly to convince operators of cruise ships to dock in Sri Lanka to enjoy the natural beauty that the country has to offer.” Needless to say, these are efforts that are paying off today because of the active role we have played in building trust in the destination, while at the same time we ensure that shore excursion itineraries are attractive and unique.”
