Singapore Airlines (SIA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) to jointly promote tourism to Sri Lanka through the airline’s services to Colombo, the airline said this week.

The one year agreement, effective from 1 April 2011, will see SIA and SLTPB jointly funding tourism promotion activities such as familiarisation trips targeting trade partners, international media and overseas markets. “Key markets in the agreement include Australia, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines and China. Under the partnership, both parties will also provide each other with branding opportunities in their proprietary marketing channels,” the statement said.

SIA is the longest serving foreign airline operating to Colombo, providing air services between Sri Lanka and Singapore for more than 40 years. It has daily flights between Singapore and Colombo. “Sri Lanka was named the ‘Number 1 Travel Destination in 2010’ by The New York Times and offers visitors a wealth of attractions. The forming of this strategic partnership with SLTPB is testament to our strong commitment to the Sri Lankan market,” said Mak Swee Wah, Singapore Airlines’ Executive Vice President Commercial (sundaytimes.lk).

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