Mrs Jyoti Mayal, Chairperson, THSC Makes Productive Strides in Sri Lanka

As a major move to boost tourism and bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka, Mrs. Jyoti Mayal, former President of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Chairperson of the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC), recently travelled to Sri Lanka to participate in the inauguration of Sancharaka Udawa 2025, a two-day tourism exhibition organized jointly by the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau..

During her visit, Mrs. Mayal had the honour of a one-on-one meeting with His Excellency Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Honourable President of Sri Lanka. The meeting brought out her successful TAAI convention celebrated in 2023 and reaffirmed her continuous support to Sri Lanka at different stages of its tourism resurgence. This event was a stage to introduce new proposals based on skilling partnerships between the two countries, with the aim of encouraging each other’s growth in the tourism and hospitality industries.

The President welcomed the recommendations graciously and appreciated her enthusiasm and efforts towards building capacity and sustainable tourism promotion. Mrs. Mayal underscored the need for cross-border skilling initiatives to enhance employment and tourism standards and hence consolidating the Indo-Sri Lankan tourism partnership.

Further complementing these efforts, she met with Hon. Vijitha Herath, Minister of Tourism and Foreign Affairs, who extended an invitation for continued dialogue and multiple future meetings to explore deeper cooperation and sustained collaboration.

“India and Sri Lanka share a rich cultural and historical bond. Through skilling and strategic tourism collaborations, we can not only boost employment and tourism numbers but also foster stronger people-to-people connections. I’m committed to working closely with Sri Lankan counterparts to create impactful and lasting change,” said Mrs. Jyoti Mayal.

Mrs. Mayal also had a positive meeting with Mr. Buddhika Hewawasam, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman. In talks, there were deliberations on bilateral joint initiatives in skill development, generating employment, and strategic marketing to boost inbound tourism footfalls between the two nations.

This diplomatic outreach is a forward-looking period in Indo-Sri Lankan relations that promises a stronger, capable, and resilient tourism economy across borders.