March 04 2016, 18.15 PM IST || Pocket News Alert
Last year, Mihin Lanka announced the launch of its direct flight from Colombo to Kolkata, thrice a week. This has resulted in a higher tourist traffic in Bengal as the flight is not only time-saving but also economical. The flight operator had already announced its plan to join hands with local tour operators for tapping the local market. Around the launch of the new flight schedule, Mr Subhash Goyal, president of Indian Association of Tour Operators said “For a trip from the city to Colombo and back, Mihin Lanka is charging Rs. 15,500 as against Rs. 26,000-27,000 offered by other operators, whose flights, however, operate via New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or Bangalore. We are focussed on providing customers with world-class travel facility at an affordable price.”
As every year, last year too, the West Bengal tourism is tried making Durga Puja the most happening event and thereby maximize tourist footfall in the state. As per the bookings made by the private tour operators and hoteliers, 2015 saw a noteworthy rise in the tourist attraction in Bengal around the festive season of Durga Puja. Simultaneously, some special travel packages during Durga Puja and Diwali with attractive discounts on hotel rooms and sight-seeing was well thought over, and showed positive results. Other than Bengal, the flight has been significant in improving tourist footfall in nearby states too, such as, Odisha which shares a long history with Sri Lanka.
Recently, Mihin Lanka also announced its plan to commence its operations on the Muscat-Colombo route in October 2015. The flight operated four days a week initially, and then increase up to five days a month later. The airline provides direct flights to destinations across the Indian subcontinent, Asia and the Middle East including Dhaka in Bangladesh; Jakarta and Medan in Indonesia and Madurai, Kolkata, Gaya and Varanasi in India. It offers connectivity to further 20 destinations with code sharing partner SriLankan Airlines.
