SriLankan Airlines sells Sri Lanka to surfers

Japanese surfers, scuba divers and even mountaineers are finding a sporting paradise in Sri Lanka, traditionally a cultural hotspot among most Japanese. Japanese surfers, scuba divers and even mountaineers are finding a sporting paradise in Sri Lanka, traditionally a cultural hotspot among most Japanese.

"We have been promoting Sri Lanka to different market segments as we have only been known in the past as a cultural destination in Japan,” G.T. Jeyaseelan, SriLankan Airlines' Manager Japan & Korea said.

The national carrier has been promoting Sri Lanka as a nirvana for adventure sports and sports tourism like surfing, scuba diving, biking, camping, canoeing, hiking, golf, rugby, wildlife tours and mountaineering.

SriLankan will fly down 100 Japanese surfers for the fourth annual Japan Professional Surfing Association tournament in Hikkaduwa, held in the last week of November.

“With the launch of the JPSA event several years back, we have got into the Japanese surfing market. Since surfers travel throughout the year, we are promoting different places in Sri Lanka for different periods," Jeyaseelan said.

Based on the success of the