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Emirates honours Lanka’s top travel agents for supporting ticket sales
Emirates has recognised its leading travel agents in Sri Lanka at a special gathering in appreciation of their support and dedication to the airline for the year 2023.The awards gala dinner held at Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo was attended by representatives of Emirates’ top 20 travel agency partners and celebrated the airline’s sales achievements during the year.
Distinguished guests of honour included Khaled Nasser Al Ameri, Ambassador of the UAE to Sri Lanka, and Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations – West Asia and Indian Ocean.
Speaking on the importance of travel trade partners in the airline’s sales strategy, Emirates’ Country Manager for Sri Lanka and Maldives, Rashid Al Ardha said: “Our travel trade partners contribute significantly to the airline’s achievements in Sri Lanka. Recognising the strategic role that our travel partners have to play in our sales and distribution efforts, we put a great emphasis on nurturing these collaborations. By leveraging their local expertise, we are able to address the demand for travel to and from and across our network. We are delighted to have the opportunity to be here today to recognise the partners who have steadfastly supported Emirates.”
“Emirates is committed to Sri Lanka and is optimistic about the future of its travel industry,” continued Al Ardha. “Through our deep strategic partnership with Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau we’re playing an active role in promoting the island’s tourism and trade industries and broadening the nation’s appeal in key global markets, through our ongoing support of its strategy to attract 2.5 million tourists in 2024 and 5 million by 2029.”
More than 175 guests including business leaders from Sri Lanka’s travel trade, representatives of airport and aviation services and Emirates local office team in Sri Lanka were present at the awards gala, where ten travel agency partners were presented with awards.
The top ten travel agency partners honoured were Classic Travel, Inqbaytor Group, 2nd Chance Travels, Traveller Global, George Steuarts Travel, Acorn Travels, Metro Voyage, Mackinnon’s Travels, BOC Travels and MSA Travels & Tours.
Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, began operations to Sri Lanka in April 1986 and this year celebrates 38 years of supporting the country’s tourism and export industries with passenger and cargo services. The award-winning airline has carried more than 12 million passengers to and from Colombo in this period, and currently operates two direct daily flights to Colombo as well as an additional daily service via Male, using a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Emirates is the only international carrier to serve Sri Lanka with First Class services – offering passengers world-class products and superior comfort in the air and on-ground. The airline has also invested in a dedicated Emirates Lounge at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for the use of First Class and Business Class passengers as well as members of select tiers of Skywards, its award-winning frequent flyer programme.
The Emirates story began in 1985 and today, the airline operates the world’s biggest fleets of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, offering customers the comforts of the latest and most efficient wide-body aircraft in the skies as it serves a global network of 140-plus destinations. Emirates inspires travellers around the world with its growing network of worldwide destinations, industry-leading inflight entertainment, regionally-inspired cuisine, and world-class service.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
