Sri Lanka, Australia woo Indian tourists with new initiatives

Aiming to cash on growing outbound Indian tourists, Sri Lanka and Australia have launched new initiatives to cash in on this. Sri Lankan Airlines has launched a unique package for Indian tourists- the "Ramayana Trail" that includes 50 significant locations in the country which is associated with the Hindu epic.

These include Seeta Amman Temple, where Mata Sita is said to have prayed during her captivity, to Rumassala hill, where a piece of the Himalayas is believed to have landed, dropped by Hanuman.
 
Launching the trail officially over the weekend in Delhi, the Sri Lankan high commissioner said, "The Ramayan is not merely a story, it is a tapestry encapsulating culture, spirituality, and heritage. It has been a source of inspiration, guidance, fostering a connection between India & Sri Lanka...Sri Lankan Airlines is not only offering the opportunity to discover significant locations" 
 
Sri Lankan Airlines is the country's national carrier, and the initiative comes at a time when India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was extended to the country, which enhances digital financial connectivity. It not only facilitates cross-border transactions, and digital connectivity but also helps the Indian tourists travelling to the country.  

Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lankan Airlines, Richard Nuttall said, "Our Gurus came with this wonderful idea, that it was time for the Ramayana trail. We are really proud to promote this concept and bring the trail to India. We hope this will take tourism from India to Sri Lanka to a new level".
 
Indians were the largest group of foreign tourists to travel to Sri Lanka in October 2024. With a share of 26.8%, around 36000 Indians travelled to the country also known as the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean". The next largest number of tourists were from Russia, at just 7.6% share. From November 1-20th 2024, 26,700 Indian tourists travelled to the country, according to Sri Lankan govt data.
 
The pull exists "down under" Australia, where Tourism Australia launched a new campaign "Howzat for a holiday?" to get more Indian tourists coinciding with the Border Gavaskar trophy. With Australian Test cricket captain, Pat Cummins, as the face of the campaign, the aim is to encourage Indian travellers to visit the country.

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Senator Don Farrell, Australia's Minister for Trade and Tourism in a statement said, "With tens of millions of people across India tuning in to watch the Test cricket series here in Australia, we have an opportunity to showcase to a huge audience why there is no place like Australia for a holiday." 
 
The number of Indian travellers visiting Australia already exceeds 2019 levels and, according to Tourism Research Australia, arrivals from India are forecast to double pre-pandemic levels by 2028. 
 
Tourism Australia Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison pointed out, "With a population of more than 1.4 billion people and more Indians looking to travel, the potential in the Indian market is endless and we see the Test series as our chance to get on the front foot and promote our country to a captive TV audience."
 
According to a report by the International Trade Administration (ITA), Indian tourists are one of the highest spenders per visit abroad, which contributes to the economies of the countries they visit. The number of Indian travellers is not only increasing in numbers but is expected to overtake Chinese travellers in the coming years.