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.