Sri Lanka Tourism took part in the Global Bird Fair 2024, in Rutland, United Kingdom recently.
The event, a premier gathering for wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists worldwide, proved to be an ideal platform for Sri Lanka to showcase its diverse avifauna and natural habitats.
The Sri Lanka delegation consisted of nine specialised travel agents of the wildlife tour segment and officials including Deputy High Commissioner in London, Manorie Malliakaratchi and Deputy Director Marketing of Sri Lanka Tourism, Ms. Sarangi Thilakasena.
On the second day of the show, Sri Lanka conducted an awareness session to over 120 wildlife and nature tourism professionals on the topic of “Sri Lanka’s Wildlife and Conservation in a Tourism Perspective” by veteran wildlife personality and naturalist Chandika Jayarathne.
Sri Lanka Tourism conducted an interview with Gehan De Silva Wijeyeratne, on “Promoting Sri Lanka as a sought-after wildlife destination and the role of tourism industry”.
Sri Lanka also entered into contracts with media houses such as BBC Wildlife and Netflix to produce wildlife promotional documentaries in the upcoming months. Several media FAM tours were finalised during the show involving key birdwatching magazines, wildlife and Nature Magazines and Adventure travel bloggers.
The wildlife and nature tourists are a niche segment; they are high spenders with longer duration of stay than a normal tourist.
Sri Lanka Tourism is focused on expanding its wildlife and nature tourism offerings through strategic partnerships, infrastructure development, Conservational initiatives and community engagement. By promoting responsible tourism practices and supporting conservation initiatives, Sri Lanka aims to position itself as a leading destination for sustainable wildlife experiences in Asia raising its profile on the global tourism stage.
