Aitken Spence Travels partnered with the staff of Turyaa Kalutara and the local community in an environmental and professional empowerment programme, recently.
Aitken Spence Travels conducted an educational workshop for local community members whose livelihoods depended on tourism. The workshop covered topics such as how to interact with tourists, how to be a professional service provider and how to conserve the environment that contributes to their profession and the industry.
The key facilitator for the programme was Palitha Pushpa Kumara – Assistant Director for Tourism Development and Community Relations of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.
As a part of the engagement, Aitken Spence Travels and Turyaa Kalutara resort staff joined the local community in a beach cleaning exercise on the Kalutara beach recently which coincided with the International Ozone Conservation Day on September 16.
Sri Lanka’s largest travel company, Aitken Spence Travels is a joint venture between leading conglomerate Aitken Spence PLC and TUI, the world’s number one integrated tourism company. It served an unprecedented 153,000 visitors to Sri Lanka, during its last financial year.
Commenting on this program Chief Operating Officer Aitken Spence Travels Tikiri Ellapola said, “We believe this program will be the beginning of a positive relationship in engaging the community in a different way going beyond our core business objectives of being a destination management company. As Sri Lanka’s number 1 DMC we will be the bridge between the hotel and the area community to develop sustainable programs that are marketable with overseas agents. This way the community will be engaged in an organised manner to achieve a common objective. We are thankful to the SLTDA’s Assistant Director of Community Relations for sharing his expertise and time with us.”
With a legacy of expanding Sri Lanka’s tourism presence beyond traditional markets and producing some the most respected professionals in the industry, Aitken Spence Travels is the only travel company in Sri Lanka to win the Presidential Award for the best destination management company and professional conference organizer for three consecutive years and to enter the Hall of Fame.
Winner of many PATA gold awards including the Most Innovative Excursion award in 2014, Aitken Spence Travels was the first DMC to obtain ISO 9001:2008. The company’s operations conform to ISO 14001:2015 environmental standards while being certified carbon neutral.
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