SriLankan Airlines has opened a new reservations and ticketing office in Bahrain.
The new office which was opened by Assistant Undersecretary for tourism affairs, Mubarak Saad Al Atwi, occupies more spacious premises on the ground floor the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Manama. Al Atwi welcomed the expansion, saying it reflected the Sri Lankan carrier's commitment to Bahrain and the region. He also said his department was working with various government agencies, airlines and other tourism industry operators to build tourism infrastructure which will boost the kingdom's position as a major destination. SriLankan's head of commercial operations, G T Jeyaseelan, flew into Bahrain along with the airline's regional manager Gulf, Europe and Americas, Sugath Rajapakse, for the opening. Jeyaseelan said the airline carried more than 10,000 passengers from Bahrain last year, posting a significant increase over the previous year. He said SriLankan aimed to expand its operations from Bahrain and would also work to sell the kingdom as a destination in Asia. But he added more efforts were needed to enhance Bahrain's appeal as a tourist destination. Earlier welcoming guests at the opening, country manager Bahrain and Qatar, Chanaka Olagama and sales manager Jagath De Silva praised its GSA, Bahrain International Travel for its role in opening the new office. De Silva said the airline would also soon launch SriLankan Holidays as a pan-Gulf operation aimed at attracting Gulf visitors to Sri Lanka as well as offering attractive holiday options to other destinations in Asia.