Sri Lanka is hosting its first-ever MICE Expo scheduled to take place from March 13 to 15 in Colombo.
Sri Lanka MICE Expo will consist of a B2B event, an exhibition, networking sessions, industry forums and FAM tours. The event will be organised by Sri Lankan Convention Bureau (SLCB), in partnership with SriLankan Airlines, under the guidance of the Ministry of Tourism and Lands. While making the announcement of the Expo last month, Harin Fernando, Tourism Minister, Sri Lanka shared that in the month of January 2023, the island nation recorded over 100,000 international tourist arrivals.
“There is an immense potential to attract the Indian MICE segment to Sri Lanka. In fact, we are witnessing a good demand for MICE events. We are looking at India to support us. Indian global giant TATA is organising its 550 pax-strong MICE event in Sri Lanka in February. The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) hosted its meeting in Sri Lanka last year. In March 2023, an Indian pharmaceutical company’s MICE group of 750 pax is visiting Sri Lanka in March. We have been working hard to revive the tourism sector in the country. We have faced one of the worst economic crisis but are confident that we are moving ahead on a road to recovery,” said Fernando. The Minister launched www.srilankamiceexpo.com as the official website for the event.
“Tourism is a great way that can help our economy to recover. Sri Lanka has something to offer to all kinds of travellers. We have a rich hospitality heritage, culture, food, history and most important warm people. We are also starting a PR campaign, specifically targeting India as we know India alone can pull out Sri Lanka from the crisis. Instead of visiting other destinations that may offer limited experiences, Sri Lanka has diverse tourism products to be explored. Presently, India is the number two source market for us after Russia. I am hoping that India will soon gain its number one spot as the biggest source market for us,” added Fernando.
Sri Lanka Tourism is developing an app for tourists which will give them information about various tourist places and other relevant information to help travellers. The app is expected to be launched shortly.
Sri Lanka is also starting a tourism investment forum in many countries for the first time. The country will offer its land parcels and beaches to private players for the development of tourism projects. A wellness centre is also being constructed that will offer facilities like Yoga and meditation.
The Tourism Minister shared that Sri Lanka is aiming to earn over $ 300 m from the MICE events in 2023. The target is to welcome 1.5 million international tourist arrivals, out of which 10-15 per cent will be MICE travellers.
Talking about plans to tap the Indian MICE segment, Thisum Jayasuriya, Chairman, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) said, “We were in India last September and organised three roadshows in Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad. We had separate meetings with the corporates and the travel industry. We later hosted many fam tours for Indian media and the corporate sector. These are the few things we have done to promote our MICE products in India.”
Jayasuriya said that the confidence of Indian corporates to host their MICE events in Sri Lanka is back and companies like TATA visiting the country for their events will further push international MICE demand.
While sharing his expectations from the Indian market for the forthcoming MICE Expo, he said, “We want to make sure that we choose the right buyers because we see immense potential in India. From India alone, we can get around 1 million tourists in a year and MICE will play an important role in bringing a large number of tourists to Sri Lanka. We have state-of-the-art MICE facilities in Sri Lanka and good buyers can help us to spread the message that we are ready to welcome Indian corporates to our country“.
Demand from Indian market growing
Travel Trade Insider spoke to leaders of a few MICE facilities in Sri Lanka who are confident that demand from the Indian market is poised to grow strongly.
Sunil Dissanayake, Director/Chief Executive, Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), Colombo
Q. Please provide details of your MICE facilities.
A. We have a sophisticated world-class MICE facility with 22 indoor and 10 outdoor venues. We do everything that a hotel does, from a dinner for two to a banquet for 2,000. We cater to all types of events, and we are very specialised in what we do. We have facilities for simultaneous translations to seven languages and all our other audio-visual and technological systems are very up-to-date and can serve to global events.
Q. What are your expectations from the Indian MICE segment in 2023? How are you targeting to attract Indian MICE groups to your property?
A. We are a purpose-built facility in close proximity to India. We sit on 38 acres of landscaped gardens, and we call ourselves an urban forest. In terms of competitive advantage, we are very cost-effective, with our pricing, when compared with similar facilities elsewhere in the region. In my personal view, it is more cost-effective for Indian clients to come over to Sri Lanka and host their conferences, weddings and events rather than travelling from Delhi to Chennai or to other parts of India, which may be more expensive than coming to Colombo.
Just before the pandemic, we hosted the Suzuki Maruti All India Conference and the Award Ceremony here at BMICH Expo Centre which had 1,000 participants joining the event. Afterwards, they indulged in tourism aspects of visiting different parts of the country.
Samir Khanna, General Manager, Taj Bentota Resort & Spa
Q. Please provide details of your MICE facilities.
A. Taj Bentota has 6,500 sq. ft. of contemporary space, for all the business needs of an event. For indoor venues, we have Orchid Hall (one of the biggest social event venues in Bentota, it can host 275 persons and has the best technology), My Kind of Place (MKOP) and Agenda (It is the perfect venue for a small gathering accommodating up to 35 people). For outdoor venues, we have Upper Lawn, Orchid Lawn and Banquet Lawn. From cocktails to social celebrations, choose Banquet Lawn when you need the space for a spectacular event. It can accommodate up to 350 people. They also have a Sea View Terrace (open-air venue perfect for cocktails, dinners, launch parties and social celebrations) which can accommodate up to 150 pax.
Q. What are your expectations from the Indian MICE segment in 2023? How are you targeting to attract Indian MICE groups to your property?
A. We expect the resort to be the leader within its competitive set for MICE travel capitalizing on our brand strength in India. Considering that India is the key source market for the overall tourism revival plan including MICE for Sri Lanka, we want to gain the maximum share of MICE groups generating out of India. Our focus will be also on building interest and driving more destination weddings to Sri Lanka.
A strong sales force located across India is responsible for driving business for all the brands of IHCL. These experienced teams maintain strong relationships in all segments including MICE. We could confidently claim no other hotel brand in Sri Lanka would have the coverage and footprint when it comes to the strength of our sales. We also focus on referral marketing through the existing customer base to pull in new customers. Our cross-promotional activities with our sister properties and participation in MICE road shows and collaborations with key airline partners also help us to attract Indian MICE groups.
Ilias Vamvakas, Area Vice President, Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts, Sri Lanka & General Manager, Cinnamon Bentota Beach
Q. Please provide details of your MICE facilities.
A. We have specially designed conference and banqueting spaces at Cinnamon Bentota Beach which can comfortably cater to 250-300 pax based on the seating arrangement. Complimented with a significant pre-function space as well as a scenic outdoor veranda which overlooks the lagoon which is indeed picturesque. In addition, we have ample outdoor spaces which have catered to diverse requirements including very successfully executed Indian destination weddings.
These spaces can be utilized based on the requirements effectively. State-of-the-art AV equipment is available to ensure various technological requirements are met. Cinnamon Bentota Beach has 159 rooms and suites with extensive food and Beverage outlets, a kids club, motorized and non-motorized watersports facilities and a Spa.
Q. What are your expectations from the Indian MICE segment in 2023? How are you targeting to attract Indian MICE groups to your property?
A. We are confident that with the Covid related challenges and economic shock well behind us that the country is now geared to move forward to cater to the Indian MICE demand effectively. Sri Lanka and our Cinnamon Hotels in the city and the resorts are fully ready and confident to manage the expectations accordingly.
We expect the Indian market, especially due to the close proximity and affordable airfares, including preferential visa charges to positively consider Sri Lanka and our Cinnamon properties as the preferred MICE destination in the region. Our spaces, related technology, food and beverage offerings within the diverse properties situated strategically across the country will add the perfect balance for MICE events and leisure activities which are sought after by the Indian market. In addition, we have multiple support functions such as SPA operations, excursions and outdoor activities such as water sports that will add the right mix to the experience required to delight the customers.