Sri Lankan Airlines said in a statement a series of carefully targeted campaigns were done recently in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic targeting leading members of each country's outbound travel trade and travel media.
The effort has already seen some new bookings generated from these markets for the winter period up to the end of March 2009, it said.
"The lucrative East European tourism markets are being explored through a joint effort between SriLankan Airlines, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau, and a dozen members of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators.
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The campaign included day-long seminars in Warsaw, Budapest and Prague to create more awareness of Sri Lanka's attractions and tourism products.
"A growing number of wealthy travellers in East Europe are choosing to spend vacations in exotic destinations in Asia," the airline said.
"Eastern Europe is one of several tourism markets that Sri Lanka has focused on in recent months, with the others in