Aitken Spence Travels celebrated the arrival of the first Bulgarian charter flight for the Winter 2023/24 season at the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) on 27 December 2023, the Compnay announced. Operated by Bulgaria Air, over 200 enthusiastic holidaymakers travelled to Sri Lanka through the flight.
Expressing confidence in Aitken Spence Travels, the Bulgarian tour operator remarked: "We witnessed the seamless handling of the first charter in March 2023, and we were eager to enhance our promotion of Sri Lanka. We are certain that our guests will experience the beauty of your country, and we trust that everything will be expertly managed. We wish to thank Aitken Spence Travels for conducting the sales calls and educational sessions to educate our agents and the market on your beautiful island."
Throughout their stay, the visitors will embark on round tours, immersing themselves in the rich culture and breathtaking landscapes that Sri Lanka has to offer. The itinerary includes visits to Kandy city, the cultural triangle, Pinnawala, the hill country, and concludes with guests enjoying the golden sandy beaches of the southern coast. Guest accommodation ranges from luxurious 4 and 5 star properties to charming boutique establishments on the southern belt.
Commenting on this significant flight arrival to MRIA, Aitken Spence Joint Deputy Chairperson and Joint Deputy Managing Director and the Head of Tourism & Leisure for the Group, Stasshani Jayawardena said: “We are delighted to tap into this emerging source markets and be able to operate charters to grow visitor numbers. This shows our partner’s confidence in our quality of service and the destination to commit towards this charter operation commencing in December”.
Aitken Spence Travels established a partnership with one of Bulgaria's leading tour operators to ensure the execution of this charter operation. The collaboration involved extensive efforts, including sales calls, and comprehensive education initiatives for tour operators, aimed at promoting destination Sri Lanka as an exotic diversified holiday location. The confidence gained from a previous charter operated earlier in the year reinforced the commitment of all parties involved.
Aitken Spence Travels Managing Director Nalin Jayasundera commented: “Bulgaria is not a traditional source market for Sri Lanka and has generated around 1400 tourists in total (November SLTDA report). It is good to have visitors from an emerging market enjoying the diversity of Sri Lanka.
According to the SLTDA November 2023 report 32% of tourists that arrived in Sri Lanka journeyed through a transit airport. However, if the number of direct flights or charter flights grow, visitors can reach the destination with ease and have pleasant memories. This emphasises the significance of air transportation and connectivity facilitating tourism numbers to the country. Air connectivity plays a significant role in catering to a substantial portion of visitor arrivals and charter flights help build visitor confidence in the country”.