DUBAI, 7th March, 2022 (WAM) — Emirates Airline has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board at the Emirates Group Headquarters in Dubai. The agreement reaffirms the airline’s commitment to Sri Lanka and outlines mutually beneficial initiatives that will help revitalize the country’s trade and tourism industries.
The MoU was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates Senior Vice President, West Asia and Indian Ocean Commercial, and Kimarli Fernando, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Prasanna Ranatunga, Minister of Tourism of Sri Lanka, Malraj De Silva, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the UAE, Nalinda Wijerathna, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Dubai, and Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Vice President of International Affairs, Senior Staff of the UAE Aviation Sector.
Khoory said: “Sri Lanka remains a very important market in Emirates’ global network and the agreement signed today demonstrates our strong commitment to the country. We started operations in Colombo more than 35 years ago and our partnership continues to grow Go strong. We look forward to exploring mutually beneficial initiatives that will help revitalize the country’s trade and tourism industries and provide Emirates with the opportunity to serve the needs of the market.”
Fernando said: “Sri Lanka is a beautiful island destination and having a well-respected strategic partner like Emirates is an important aspect of guiding the tourism industry in Sri Lanka. So this partnership is essential for us to explore and capitalize on the opportunities that arise and “Opens up many beautiful avenues to build brand awareness and perceived quality in the global travel market. We are therefore excited about this partnership and thank Emirates for their 30-year long relationship, especially in Greater All the support given to us during the epidemic. We hope we can promote and serve the market effectively together.
Under the agreement, Emirates and Sri Lanka Tourism will benefit from joint events that help strengthen trade and tourism, including trade shows, trade familiarization tours, exhibitions and seminars.
Emirates has flown more than 80,000 passengers to Colombo since the country safely reopened to international tourists in February 2021. The largest inbound markets include the UAE, Italy, UK and Germany. The airline currently operates 28 weekly flights to Colombo and is the only international airline to offer first class service to the country – offering passengers a world-class product and exceptional comfort in the air and on the ground.
Emirates has safely restarted operations to more than 120 destinations across its global network via Dubai.
