Sunday Times 2
USAID-SLTDA conducts learning expo in Kandy
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Small business operators in the tourism industry in the Kandy region attended the Sustainable Niche Tourism Learning Expo conducted by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) on November 22 at Hotel Suisse Kandy.
“This is a wonderful initiative – the knowledge sharing sessions gave us a new marketing perspective and the need to focus on authenticity and a more sustainable approach,” a participant said. “I gained 38 new contacts of people in the same industry and have established link which will help my business,” he added.
Group activity in progress
Small tourism businesses learned about digital marketing, travel trends, and how to incorporate sustainability into their daily operations. Participants also had access to mentoring sessions with industry trailblazers and received toolkits focused on product development, marketing, promotions, and sustainability.
The event attracted over 120 small businesses and stakeholders and was the third in a series of similar events to be held across the country. The previous events were held in Colombo in September and in Galle in October.
USAID launched the tourism activity under the Indo Pacific Opportunity Project (IPOP) in July 2022 to support economic reforms and promote foreign direct investment in Sri Lanka. The two-year project assists SLTDA in the tourism sector.