The World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia 2017 was held in Shanghai, China on June 4th. Sri Lanka claimed the titles of Asia’s Leading Destination 2017 and Asia’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination 2017 beating China, India, Japan, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam.
The prestigious gala event hosted by the luxury Grand Kempinski Hotel in Shanghai, was attended by 250 hospitality leaders from across the regions.
Sri Lanka’s latest win for the tourism sector indicates that Sri Lanka is emerging as a popular destination among tourists for its vivid attractions including beaches, wildlife safaris and rich cultural heritage. Sri Lanka is home to land mammals like elephants, leopards and wild buffalos and marine mammals like whale and dolphin watching. It is also known among thrill-seekers for offering top-notch surfing and diving experiences, jungle treks, hikes and elephant-riding and rock-climbing adventures.
Sri Lanka’s national carrier SriLankan Airlines was recognized as Asia’s Leading Cultural Airline 2017 and Casa Colombo won the title of Asia’s Leading Design Hotel 2017.