Sri Lanka and Australia have launched new initiatives with an eye to cashing in on the growing outbound Indian tourists.
SriLankan Airlines has decided to introduce to the Indian tourists the “Ramayana Trail”, a special package that features 50 significant locations all over the country that are related to the Hindu epic.
From Seeta Amman Temple, where Mata Sita prayed while in captivity, to Rumassala hill, where a portion of the Himalayas is said to have fallen as cast away by Hanuman.
Launching the trail-it’s official-over the weekend in Delhi, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner stated, “The Ramayan is not a mere story; it is a tapestry of interwoven culture, spirituality, and heritage. It has been a source of inspiration and guidance in connecting India and Sri Lanka. SriLankan Airlines, therefore, provides an opportunity not only to see these places but also significant sites.”
SriLankan Airlines has emerged as the national carrier of Sri Lanka and this initiative comes at a time when India’s Unified Payments Interface was extended to Sri Lanka, therefore enhancing the digital finance connectivity.
Not only does it ease the license for cross-border transactions and digital connectivity, but also eases Indian tourists visiting the country.
Richard Nuttall, CEO of SriLankan Airlines stated, “Our Gurus came with this amazing idea that, now was time for the Ramayana trail. We are absolutely delighted to promote this concept and to bring the trail to India. Hopefully, this shall take tourism from India to Sri Lanka into a new orbit.”
Indians now form the largest grouping of foreign tourists visiting Sri Lanka since the month of October, contributing 26.8% or approximately 36,000 tourists to the much-beloved “pearl of the Indian ocean”.
The Russians came close, but just with a share of 7.6%.
Data provided gives that the Indian arrivals were 26,700 instances between November 1-20, according to appoint Sri Lanka government data.
The campaign is run in synergy with the Border-Gavaskar trophy in Australia, where Tourism Australia launched a new campaign dubbed “Howzat for a holiday?” to attract more Indian tourists. Cricketing captain Pat Cummins is the face of the campaign with the target for Indian travelers to visit the country.
In a statement, Australia’s Minister of Trade and Tourism Senator Don Farrell noted: “Tens of millions across India will be watching the Test cricket series here in Australia, giving us one of the largest TV audiences to showcase to that Australia is undisputedly the Destination of the Deals.”
Travel from India to Australia has already surpassed numbers recorded in 2019 and is expected by Tourism Research Australia to double pre-pandemic levels by 2028.
Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison remarked: “With more than 1.4 billion people in India and even more Indians looking to travel, the potential in the Indian market is limitless. We see the Test series as our opportunity to be on the front foot in promoting our country to a captive TV audience.”
As per the report issued by the ITA, Indian tourists spend among the highest per visit abroad, thereby augmenting the economies of the nations they visit. The rise of Indian travelers is not only vast but is also a trend expected to surpass Chinese travelers within the next few years.
