‘Sri Lanka, the perfect winter destination for Western tourists’

By Lynn Ockersz

Sri Lanka is a high potential travel destination and given its natural assets, geographical diversity, exotic appeal and welcoming, friendly people, the country could be considered a perfect winter destination for Western tourists, General Manager Air France – KLM, Indian Sub-continent, Jean-Noel Rault told The Island Financial Review.

Speaking to this newspaper in an exclusive interview on Air France’s (AF) decision to resume flights to Sri Lanka after a 30-year lapse, Rault said that AF would be expanding its long-haul network with the launch of three weekly direct flights between Paris and Colombo. The first flight departure from Colombo-Paris was on November 5 this year.

Customers will be able to travel to Paris and connect to AF’s global network with close to 200 destinations via the continent hub of Paris, Charles de Gaulle airport. Colombo will be served as a seasonal operation in the winter schedule 2021-22 and as a continuation of the AF flight from Male.

Sri Lanka’s high brand image and its popularity among Western tourists, among other factors, accounted for AF’s decision to resume flights to Sri Lanka, Rault explained. Now that AF has placed Sri Lanka on its map it is bound to attract tourists in substantial numbers, the General Manager added by way of outlining the mutual benefits that could accrue to Sri Lanka and France as a result of the AF decision.

On the other hand, the arriving tourists could be assured of a most pleasant time in Sri Lanka far away from home. Besides the country’s natural beauty and good weather there is appetizing food and friendly, hospitable people. All this means that Sri Lanka could look forward to considerable revenue from the AF decision to resume flights.

The younger tourists from France will be looking forward to traveling widely in Sri Lanka in quest of adventure. The more high-end tourists usually prefer to spend a relaxing, quiet time on Sri Lanka’s sunny beaches and other tranquil locations. Sri Lanka could look forward to both high-end and backpack tourists, Rault said. ‘Sri Lanka’s attractions are such that it could be considered a nice blend of all the pleasing features of regional destinations, such as the Maldives, Bangladesh and India.’

It was explained that Sri Lanka could facilitate in-bound tourism by reducing complex travel formalities and documentation. Such formalities should be simple and facilitatory of convenient travel. On the other hand, AF is increasingly modernizing its Boeing 787-9 aircraft which will be used on the Colombo-Paris flights to expedite tourist traffic to Sri Lanka. Among other things, the best of entertainment is on offer.