Cruise liner ‘FTI Berlin’ operated by FTI Group – a leading tour operator in Germany, is expected to arrive at the Colombo harbour on December 5 with Austrian, German and Swiss travellers making up around 400 passengers.
The luxury liner plans to bring 4,000 visitors to Sri Lanka for the upcoming winter season.
This is the first time in Sri Lanka this cruise liner is touching Colombo, it was revealed at a press briefing held last week to announce this cruise operation which would be a regular feature.
The operations in Sri Lanka would be handled by Deithelm Travel Sri Lanka, a subsidiary of Hemas Holdings PLC.
Abbas Esufally, Chairman, Deithelm Travels said that their new venture would enhance the travel industry in Sri Lanka and also would bring in high spending tourists.
Dietmer Gunz, CEO, FTI said that they expect to succeed in this exercise which in turn is bound to support the tourism development in Sri Lanka in a big way.
Lal Wijesinghe, Director, FTI said that they are placed as the No. 4 tour operator in Germany and most of the travellers on board the FTI Berlin would be senior citizens. He said that they expect to enlarge and expand the operations later, in Sri Lanka.
FTI Berlin is expected to call at Colombo harbour 10 times between December 2012 and March 2013. It would cruise from Dubai/Colombo/Dubai with stops at Muscat, Mumbai, Goa and Cochin. (QP)
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