Sri Lanka tourism industry targets women to boost visitor numbers

June 02, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka's tourism industry aims to attract more women visitors under its efforts to revive faltering arrivals as an escalating internal conflict harms the island's image, a top official said. The industry is working on several special holiday packages targeting niche markets like professional women and retired people in a campaign to fill empty hotel rooms, the island's tourism chief said Friday.

One such package aims to take advantage of Sri Lanka being the host country for this year's World Tourism Day on 27 September, Sri Lanka Tourist Board chairman Renton de Alwis said.

"We hope to bring in women leaders and develop business opportunities around the event," he told LBO. "We aim to offer holiday packages under the theme 'Men don't get it'."

World Tourism Day is organised by the World Tourism Organization this year as an occasion to celebrate women's achievements in the tourism sector.

It aims to stimulate support for the UN's 3rd Millennium Development Goal of promoting gender equality and women empowerment.

De Alwis said the industry is looking at opportunities in the entire women fraternity such as organisations of women in media, fashion, architectur