Tourism

By Harminder Singh Ari In a world marred with boring content, customer engagement becomes the edge that the world’s leading travel and hospitality brands need. When done correctly, customer engagement enables businesses to gain a competitive advantage by fostering brand loyalty and awareness through personalized customer interactions and aids in prioritizing and extending relationships with customers between flights, stays, and experiences. New technologies have increased competition among tourism providers, emphasizing the importance of personalization. Hence, customer engagement strategies for tourism companies play a critical role in significantly growing a brand’s net sales and profit margin growth by providing both direct and indirect benefits. Why is customer engagement important? • It boosts sales funnel velocity and revenue • It fetches customer feedback and insights • And it helps sustain customer interest. Here are some strategies that Online Travel Aggregators (OTAs) can implement to build consistent customer journeys across touchpoints: 1. Leveraging Data Intelligence With Customer Data Platform (CDP): With every customer’s unique interaction with the platform comes the need for a 360-degree view of their attributes, behavior, and patterns to customize a user roadmap. A CDP helps travel companies unify & protect customer data and establish relevant insights to provide customers with a hyper-personalized omnichannel experience. 2. Personalization As A Key Tool For Customer Engagement: Personalization is no longer optional, and that’s the truth. The more brands personalize their content and communication and give them a holistic experience on their platform, the more likely are users to remain loyal and not churn. Moreover, personalization brings in a sizable increase in sales, ROI, and user engagement. Personalization & recommendation across channels and user segments ensure increasing user engagement. 3. Omnichannel Marketing: Companies must shift their focus from a channel-centric to a customer-centric approach to remain competitive in the travel industry. Omnichannel marketing is a great tool to enhance customer engagement and retention by creating a cohesive campaign that reaches customers across multiple touchpoints. 4. Breaking Data Silos: An organization’s silos must be broken down to think beyond channels. Data isolation makes it difficult for businesses to determine the extent of a particular team’s impact on CX activities. 5. Increasing Retention: When you pay attention to increasing user retention in your business, you invariably drive sales, increase conversions, and boost business. You decrease your CAC, nurture leads and users better, and incentivize users to remain loyal to your platform. It’s a well-known fact that the cost of acquiring new customers is often much higher than retaining existing ones. This is why investing in retention efforts can significantly impact a company’s bottom line. A user spending twice on your platform will always be more important than spending once and leaving. Needless to say, customer engagement is at the forefront of campaigns, companies, and currency (sales). Customer engagement is more important than ever in today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving business landscape. Companies that neglect to engage with their customers risk losing them to competitors who prioritize this vital aspect of business. To ensure they are meeting the needs and expectations of their customers, companies must first determine the actual cost of ignoring engagement. A great place to start is by evaluating where they stand in comparison to industry benchmarks in a post-pandemic world. By doing so, companies can gain valuable insight into where to improve to stay competitive. (The writer is Vice President – India Sales at WebEngage. Views expressed are personal)

New Delhi, 19th Jan 2023: Under the aegis of India’s G20 Presidency, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India shall be organizing the country’s first Global Tourism Summit in New Delhi from 10-12 April 2023, where all G-20 member countries will be invited to participate. CII is the Industry Partner for this event. In a roadshow held ahead of the summit at St Regis Hotel, Mumbai, the Tourism Ministry officials from various Western Region States emphasized how G20 will be the Union Tourism Ministry’s main area in 2023 to establish the country as a key tourism destination during its year-long leadership. Global perspective was given by various Consulates. Mr Prashant Ranjan, Director, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India shared that at the Global Tourism Investor’s Summit, India will be showcasing opportunities for investment and trade in various segments of tourism such as theme parks, adventure tourism, and wellness tourism. The Government of India has a vision of USD 56 Billion forex, creating around 140 million jobs in tourism by 2030 through inclusive growth and are particularly focusing on cruise tourism, ecotourism and adventure tourism. He also mentioned that the Indian government has been investing in infrastructure and promoting the tourism and hospitality sector through various schemes and initiatives, and are now introducing the scheme called Swadesh Darshan 2.0 which will focus on sustainable and responsible development of tourist destinations. Mr Saurabh Vijay, Principal Secretary – Tourism & Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra highlighted that the Government is discussing the development of an online application portal to facilitate investment opportunities in the tourism industry in Maharashtra, India. They have identified various opportunities such as land for amusement parks, autism, cruise tourism, and ecotourism, and are also focusing on private investment and partnerships. GoM has identified specific locations and projects such as a mangrove park and aquarium project and are also exploring opportunities in MICE tourism and responsible tourism. Maharashtra has reduced the no. of licenses to 10 only for Ease of Doing Business’ “Mumbai is the Cruise Capital” and Tadoba is the ‘Tiger Capital’. Mr Vijay also thanked CII for organising this roadshow in Mumbai and Maharashtra would be happy to participate at the 1st Global Tourism Investors’ Summit, 2023. Mr Sunit Kothari, Co- Convener, CII Maharashtra Sub-group on Tourism and Aviation & Director, Kothari Group while welcoming the delegates said “The Indian travel and tourism industry is a rapidly growing and attractive investment destination, due to the growing middle class, efforts by the government to boost the industry, the diverse range of tourist experiences offered, the increasing digitalization of the industry, and the significant untapped potential for growth. Maharashtra, a state in western India, is a popular tourist destination known for its diverse range of attractions including beaches, hill stations, wildlife sanctuaries, ancient temples, and monuments. The state has the potential to become an ideal tourism destination, drawing on its many strengths and addressing its current limitations.” The State Officials of Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Daman & Diu, presented policy initiatives undertaken by their respective Tourism /Industries Department to improve ease of doing business and a summary of unique fiscal and non-fiscal incentives in the sector. They also presented investment success stories and reaffirmed their commitment towards utilizing the potential of the tourism sector as a vehicle for transformational socio-economic change. The roadshow created significant interest among the small and medium operators on the possibilities and promise of the upcoming summit.

With the arrival of 2023,Fareportal online travel agency brand CheapOair has shared its take on the travel and tourism trends shaping up for 2023. The blog explains “What To Expect in Air Travel and Beyond” in year ahead. In an article published last week on the CheapOair blogsite Miles Away ,the author sheds light on some of the bigger developments affecting travel in the next year, ranging from the changing requirements for European travel, into the future with a discussion on flying taxis.Trend 1: European Travel-Schengen and ETIAS The Schengen Area creates the largest visa-free travel zone in the world and comprises 26 European countries that have opened their borders to allow free travel among the various independent states. The European Travel Information and Authorization system, ETIAS, provides e-visas for travelers from outside the EU and Schengen areas. Trend 2: Real ID Scheduled for the spring of 2023, the official rollout of Real ID has been delayed until 2025. Why is the path to Real ID so long? Trend 3 : Bill of Rights for Disabled Passengers The Airline Passengers With Disabilities Bill of Rights has been around since 1986, but the US Department of Transportation recently issued a consolidated version to clarify what the Bill of Rights covers. Trend 4: Flying Taxis Sustainability is a topic that is being taken very seriously by the airlines, and the travel industry as a whole. Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Vehicles or eVTOLs are powered entirely by electricity and are being developed by innumerable start-ups around the world. How will the necessary infrastructure and regulatory oversight be created to support this dramatic new addition to transportation? Trend 5 : Authentic Travel As demand for travel grows, passengers are increasingly seeking an experience that is unique to their own personal tastes and areas of interest. One sought-after approach is for what is being called Authentic Travel. Advancing technology is providing the systems required to identify and experience locales at a deeper level. A variety of Apps are making it easier to create an authentic experience, providing support with local languages, guiding travelers to local eateries and identifying local events.

New Delhi, 26th Nov 2022: In alignment with the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and with an objective to enhance engagement and participation of industry stakeholders in transition of Tourism sector towards sustainability pathway, the Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and Responsible Tourism Society of India (RTSOI organised a ‘CEO round table on Sustainable Tourism’. The round table aimed to enhance awareness of industry stakeholders on national and global priorities for sustainable tourism and share and promote best practices on sustainable tourism. The round table followed and drew linkages with the following three important initiatives on sustainable Tourism, which was signed by participants, with an objective to accelerate sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in tourism policies and practices for addressing the triple planetary crisis and accelerate low carbon, climate resilient and green economic transformation of tourism sector: On the occasion Secretary, Ministry of Tourism Mr. Arvind Singh, said , ‘Everybody wants to mainstream sustainability in all aspects of life, including tourism and highlighted the fact that with G20 around the corner it is important to step up our commitment towards it. He also informed that there are four tourism track meetings slated to be held during G-20. Shri Arvind Singh added that it is the ideal time that India should take the leadership position in responsible tourism. The round table saw participation from CEOs, senior-mid level representatives from the key industry groups, Ministry of Tourism, UN in India, UNEP, Responsible Tourism Society of India, and technical agencies/experts working on Sustainable Tourism. Tourism sector’s contribution to a growing economy and livelihoods for millions of people, is well recognised. It is an important driver for growth in economic activities and local livelihoods and an essential medium for showcasing natural and cultural heritage. Tourism was also one of the hardest hit sectors during the global COVID19 pandemic and is constantly dealing with growing threats of climate change, degradation of ecosystems and biodiversity loss. The COVID19 pandemic has further highlighted the link between human health risk, biodiversity, and the economic system, underscoring the need to simultaneously boost resilience and sustainability of the tourism sector, in response to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, to ensure prosperity for all. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the sector accounted for over 10% of global GDP and 10% of jobs worldwide with international tourist arrivals predicted to rise from 1.1 billion in 2014 to 1.8 billion in 2030[1]. Due to this, in a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario, by 2050 tourism sector (globally) is set for an increase of 154% in energy consumption, 131% in greenhouse gas emissions, 152% in water consumption and 251% in solid waste disposal. Travel & Tourism sector is known to leave significant environmental and carbon footprints. Additionally, the growing plastics production and use, needs special attention of the tourism sector to ensure reduction of plastic and enhance circularity in its use. In a post pandemic scenario, where tourism sector is gradually recovering from the effects of pandemic, there is an opportunity to accelerate transition of Tourism sector towards a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive industry. Its revival and sustainability will be critical to ensure its continued contribution to livelihoods and economies. In summary, sustainability needs to now define development of the tourism sector in the 21st century. On 4th June 2022, the Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with United Environment Program (UNEP) and Responsible Tourism Society of India (RTSOI) organized the National Summit on Developing Sustainable & Responsible Tourist Destinations and launched the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Traveller Campaign. The National Strategy for sustainable tourism aims to mainstream sustainability in Indian tourism sector and ensure a more resilient, inclusive, carbon neutral and resource efficient tourism while safeguarding natural and cultural resources. Tourism Industry’s transition to sustainability pathways will require significant investment and innovation. Adopting low-emissions technologies, optimizing resource use, reduction in operation costs, and increase in efficiency would be essential for improving environmental performance and tackling climate change.

New Delhi, September 14, 2022: Southern Travels in its 50th year of celebration unveiled the new logo amid the presence of large number of travel trade partners and the Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy in Delhi. On this occasion, Southern Travels announced that it is the first company to have been awarded 18 rooms and 36 dormitory beds facility at the Kashi Vishwanath temple premises. “Today, I am delighted to manifest and comprehend the contribution of Southern Travels to travel and tourism in South India. Indeed, both have a golden history, a history based on commitments made with people, culture, and time,” said Union Cabinet Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of India, G Kishan Reddy, adding, “50 years of excellent services, recipient of National Award, 8 times in a row, and the privilege of representing the country at WTM, ITB Berlin, ICCA, ATM, TANA and other events of international repute. And, it is the company’s staunch leadership, guided by ethical values embedded in Indian culture, has made this possible.” Established in 1970, Southern Travels has been offering travelers a gamut of options – individual holidays, fixed departures, incentive holidays, special interest tours, visas and hotel bookings across the globe. The company is now heading for an expansion spree. By March 2023, it will register its presence also as a service provider with Travel Brand Stores in over 50 cities in India. “Southern Travels is the first company to be awarded an 18-room + 36 Dormitory Beds facility inside the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Premises/Corridor make Southern Travels a really distinguished player in India’s tourism industry. This will certainly boost the traffic and allow senior citizens and NRIs to experience the Darshan from very closer quarters and comfortably. Apart from this, the company is poised to embark on overseas destinations with ambitious plans and viable strategies to exhibit India’s global vision – from South India to South East Asia by 2024 and gradually into other continents. Presently, the company owns 11 offices across India with a fleet of its own vehicles and caters to over 1.5 Lakhs tourists every year,” mentioned Managing Director of Southern Travels, A Krishna Mohan. Briefing the journey of Southern Travels, from a time when the country’s infrastructure was in a nascent stage and the travel and tourism sector was not as diverse as it is today, Jatinder Paul Singh, CEO of Southern Travels said,“The leadership and acumen of Shri Alapati Venkateswara Rao ji have been a source of inspiration to many budding entrepreneurs in this field. The journey is not yet over; of course, we have passed a milestone, but we will continue our journey to spread our wings all over the globe.”

Delhi,15th September, 2022: SriLankan Holidays appoints Delhi based Linkin Reps as one of the Franchise Operator for its passenger holiday business in India.This decision will assist Srilankan Holidays in strengthening its presence and outreach to potential customers in the Indian market and will feed into Srilankan Airlines flights to/from India. This partnership includes providing complete tour packages with set itineraries through marketing, and overall sales support services to agencies. As franchise operator, the company will also aim to strengthen the carrier’s brand awareness, develop efficient and strategic commercial activities, boost revenue from ticket sales and encourage trade partners to select Srilankan Holidays as their first choice. This new partnership is a major challenge for Linkin Reps, as it marks the restart of tourism in the post covid and national emergency era which brings new growth opportunities for both leisure and business travel between India and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s tourism officials, conscious of the dire need to shore up their country’s economy also plan to woo a greater number of Indian tourists, who constitute the single largest segment of foreign tourists. “Srilankan Holidays continues to strive for excellence in all areas of the business and we seek partners that share similar aspirations,” said Ravindran, Regional Manager India & Bangladesh, Srilankan Airlines. “We believe we have found such a partner in Linkin Reps, a leading representative company to help us expand our footprint in India.” “We are pleased that Srilankan Holidays has partnered with Linkin Reps to assist them in these markets and hope this will lead to further success for this new partnership,” said Komal Seth, Founder & Director, Linkin Reps. “Linkin has the experience, industry knowledge and personnel to generate strong growth for this carrier.”

New Delhi, August 04, 2022: Da Nang Tourism Roadshow in New Delhi was organized by the Da Nang Tourism Department in cooperation with Vietjet Air. The roadshow showcased the destination and introduced new direct routes connecting Da Nang to major cities in India. The event presented Da Nang, one of Asia’s top trending destination, the city of exciting events and festivals to Indian tourism partners and was packed with all information of tourist products and services of Da Nang and Central Vietnam, especially for leisure, MICE and weddings, with an aim to boost the tourism exchange between Da Nang and India. “It’s golden time for us to enhance our mutual understanding and cooperation for tourism recovery and growth, considering the significant growth in trade and commerce exchange between Vietnam and India”,Nguyen Thị Hoai An, Director of Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center, the event organizer remarked. “Da Nang Tourism Roadshow in India 2022is a great opportunity for us to showcase our beautiful coastal city along with its diverse tourism products and services as well as promote the MICE and wedding destinations to India”, Ms. Nguyen believed the event “opened a new chapter for tourism cooperation between New Delhi and Da Nang, Vietnam. The event was attended by Pham Sanh Chau, The Ambassador of Vietnam Republic Socialist to India, Mr. Rajiv Mehra, Chairman of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, more than 90 guests comprising Indian travel companies, wedding planners. Giving his speech at the roadshow, Pham Sanh Chau emphasized on the remarkable increase of outbound tourism from India due to the pent-up demand from for the last two year. According to Mr. Pham, the average number of visas for Indians to enter Vietnam has surged after COVID-19, it has increased 24 times i.e., from 250 visas per day pre-COVID-19 to 6000 visas per day at the moment. In this, the Vietnamese Embassy has received many requests for weddings or conferences in Vietnam. Vietjet Air to launch direct flights between India and Vietnam, including Da Nang In cooperation with Da Nang to organize Da Nang Tourism Roadshow in India 2022, Vietjet Air has announced its their new route plan with flights directly connecting major cities in India to Vietnam’s top destinations, including Da Nang. Vietjet will launch two first direct services linking Mumbai and New Delhi with Da Nang starting October 17 and 18. The airline will launch three more routes to Da Nang from Bengaluru (Bangalore), Hyderabad and Ahmedabad on November 28, 29 and December 1 respectively. Additional services from key Indian cities New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad to Vietnam’s economic and tourism hubs Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc will also get operational starting September. Travelers can book promotional tickets from India to Vietnam with fares as low as INR9 (excluding taxes and fees) on every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from now until August 26 for travel period from August 15, 2022, to March 26, 2023 (excluding public holidays) at www.vietjetair.com “With 17 direct services, Vietjet will operate the largest flight network ever between India and Vietnam from September onwards”, said Mr. Jay L Lingeswara, Vietjet Commercial Director. “Travelers from five key Indian cities can now take direct flights to visit the beautiful coastal city of Da Nang, and then to surrounding tourism destinations including Hoi An ancient town, Hue Imperial city, My Son sanctuary and Son Doong, the world’s largest cave, etc.” “It is also more convenient and affordable for Indian travelers to visit not only Vietnam’s top destinations but also connect to other destinations in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and all over Asia Pacific thanks to Vietjet’s expanding flight network. As the first airline flying directly between Vietnam and India, Vietjet is confident of further strengthening both countries’ connection in the coming time to meet travelers’ evolving demands while being able to offer them the most affordable airfares and joyful flight experiences,” Jay added. MOU for enhancing cooperation between Vietnam and India A Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony for tourism cooperation and partnership was held in Da Nang Tourism Roadshow in India 2022 in the presence of the Ambassador and tourism businesses. Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center (DTPC), the agency under the Tourism Department specializing in destination marketing and promotion established the partnership with Global Aviation Services Ptv. Ltd. (GASPL) to promote Da Nang in India. According to the MOU, the Da Nang agency pledged its support to Indian clients looking to learn more about the new destination. Global Aviation Services has consulted DTPC in promoting activities to India since 2017, the company is also coordinator for Da Nang Tourism Roadshow in India 2022. Prabodh Tipnis – Group Managing Director of GASPL believed the recent tie-up between the company and Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center along with the enhanced air connectivity from various Indian city to Da Nang, will witness a surge in tourism from different travel segments. “Da Nang Tourism will now have a local address in India and can be reached through our offices PAN India. This will also assist in enhancing the knowledge of the Indian trade partners the city has to offer, apart from Dragon Bridge and Bana Hills. The “Team Da Nang” in Global is confident in promoting the destination”, Mr. Tipnis shared his positivity about the MOU. Da Nang Tourism Association (DTA) joined the MOU with Network of India MICE Agents (NIMA) aimed at developing MICE segmentation. DTA will respond to its partner’s request for MICE products and services, meanwhile, attract more MICE groups through the association with NIMA. The partnership established in 2019 resulted in the series of webinars co-organized by DTA and NIMA in 2020 to provide destination knowledge to India travel agents. According to Mr. Jagdeep Bhagat, National Coordinator of NIMA, the organization is keen to continue the relationship with the Da Nang Tourism and believes in everlasting, constructive and progressive partnership between two organisations for mutual benefit. Business networking session 17 tourism enterprises representing Da Nang, Central Vietnam tourism community including Furama

New Delhi, 04 August 2022: *German tourism invest 5 lakh euros to promote tourism in India *In 2021, Germany accounted for 9% of European trips of Indians *German National Tourist Office, India announces new marketing campaigns German.Local.Culture & Embrace German Nature for the year 2022 With tourism industry making a stark recovery post the pandemic, German National Tourist Office, India has observed an y-o-y increase of 214% in its business. In its annual conference, GNTO, India shared the travel trend analysis (globally and for the Indian market). The Press conference showcased India as an important market for inbound travel to Germany with genuine hospitality to inspire potential Indian visitors to Germany.Germany is topping the charts amongst the best travel destinations in Europe for Indian travellers for its scope culture and attraction. As per the Nation Brands Index, Anholt Ipsos Nation Brands Index SM 2021, Germany ranks No. 1 on the Nation Brands Index for fifth time in a row. From cultural centres to architecture, innovative Gastronomy to insider’s tips and new favourite places in such close proximity, Germany offers the best travel experience. Recognising an increased demand for experiences this season among visitors from the Indian market, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is debuting the brand-new campaign showcasing Nature and cultural tourism in all its facets that focuses on highlighting sustainable tourism attractions and open-air activities.The campaign German.Local.Culture. and Embrace German Nature conveys precisely this peaceful coexistence of generations, traditions and different cultural influences. With the launch of the campaign, GNTB is reflecting authentic, local experiences in urban destinations with the integration of rural areas and their sustainable tourism offers and natural attractions. With countless travel events, the campaign also aims to promote Germany as a destination for culturally interested travelers, families and active vacationers in the Indian market. The campaigns for Indian market are a part of the global campaign to promote Culturally Rich, Naturally Beautiful, Germany. Specific to Indian travellers, Germany accounted for 9% of European trips of Indians. 55% of Indian tourists visit Germany for leisure while 38% travel for business. Talking about Germany as a preffered travel destionation for Indian travellers, Romit Theophilus, director German National Tourist Office, India (GNTO) saiud, “Eight hours gate-to-gate and with multiple daily flight routes from India to cities such as Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Germany has long been favoured by the Indian traveller. An increase in travellers is expected this festive period in light of the relaxation of COVID-19 requirements. All travellers can now visit regardless of vaccination status and without the need for a negative test.” “Having nature and culture as two of the prominent drivers is exciting given the abundance of relevant offerings that we have to offer“, added Romit. “From meandering lakes and breath-taking mountains to traditional craftmanship and Bavarian fare – Germany is the ideal place for explorers searching for an easily accessible destination with plenty to see and do.” Some of the incredible naturistic elements of Germany that await Indian visitors include the 66 Lakes Trail hike, which incorporates streams and rivers and runs past the Sanssouci Palace in the spa town of Potsdam, and the incredible landscapes that can be found at Hiddensee, a stunning car-free island with sandy beaches and salt marshes. Visitors looking to soak up culture around the country can also revel in the campaign’s four touch points: Green, Craft, Flair, and Taste. Taste includes some of Leipzig’s most popular delicacies, Green features the jaw-dropping wildlife in Munsterland, Flair sees creativity such as the inspirational Tegel Art Park in Berlin, and Craft includes the well-known cuckoo clocks of the Black Forest.

AW Feature/ Tourism: LINKIN Reps has been appointed the India sales, marketing and Public Relations representation office for Haritha Villas+ Spa, Sri Lanka. LINKIN Reps will be responsible for driving holistic sales, trade marketing and PR Strategies in India for Haritha Villas+ Spa, Sri Lanka. “India has always been a very important market for us, not only as it is the number 1 inbound market to Sri Lanka, but also due to them being our closest regional neighbour. The long-standing friendship and support rendered to Sri Lanka by the people of India have been pivotal in supporting us in this very difficult time of unprecedented economic uncertainty as well as the global pandemic and other international shocks. Keeping this in mind, we are happy that LINKIN Reps will represent us, with their vast tourism experience and through their large network of travel agents in the country to promote our little island and Haritha Villas + Spa to the luxury travel segment in India”, said Thanuja Weerasinghe, Sales & Marketing. “India has always been a very important market for us, not only as it is the number 1 inbound market to Sri Lanka, but also due to them being our closest regional neighbour. The long-standing friendship and support rendered to Sri Lanka by the people of India have been pivotal in supporting us in this very difficult time of unprecedented economic uncertainty as well as the global pandemic and other international shocks. Keeping this in mind, we are happy that LINKIN Reps will represent us, with their vast tourism experience and through their large network of travel agents in the country to promote our little island and Haritha Villas + Spa to the luxury travel segment in India”, said Thanuja Weerasinghe, Sales & Marketing. On this occasion, Komal Seth, Founder & Director, LINKIN Reps said, “We take pride in announcing that Haritha Villas+ Spa is the newest addition to our brand portfolio. We are looking forward to working closely with Haritha Villas + Spa to position them as an attractive leisure Resort for Indian travellers to Sri Lanka. Umberto Piccolini, General Manager also expresses his feelings “Haritha Villas + Spa is very proud to enter into cooperation with LINKIN Reps with its very experienced visionary leadership team within the industry. We are convinced that discerning luxury travellers from India will truly enjoy the culture and heritage of Haritha Villas + Spa in Sri Lanka, coupled with genuinely personalised and warm hospitality creating authentic experiences and memories to treasure.” Haritha Villas + Spa is perched on a hill and nestled under a canopy of trees, less than 1 km from Narigama beach and 1.2 km from Hikkaduwa beach. An exclusive contemporary resort offering personalized services, spa treatments, private luxury accommodation, and a world of experiences as you explore the island; be in cultural, historical or culinary. Our Contemporary Villas and Colonial Mansions are the ideal cocoons of space, luxury and privacy. Each villa has a private plunge pool. Infinity shared swimming pool for colonial Mansions. (The content published is on as shared basis)