Flag carrier SriLankan Airlines was awarded two prestigious titles at the World Travel Awards 2018 Asia and Australasia ceremony held at InterContinental Grand Standford in Hong Kong on September 15.

Whilst the airline’s launch campaign to Australia titled ‘Two Cities. One Spirit’ was awarded the ‘Asia's Leading Marketing Campaign 2018’ accolade, SriLankan managed to defend the familiar title ‘Asia's Leading Airline to the Indian Ocean 2018’ for the second consecutive year.

SriLankan Airlines group chief executive officer, Vipula Gunatilleka, said: “SriLankan Airlines’ emphasis has been on systematic and focused growth in certain markets to reposition the airline as a leader in the region through product/frequency enhancements and induction of new destinations. Our consolidated strength in the Indian Sub-continent has allowed us to offer a wider choice of travel to customers across our global network. Impactful marketing communication activations, on the other hand, have been instrumental in cementing the airline’s brand presence in our focus markets. These two awards bear testimony to the fact that our efforts have been holistically effective.”

SriLankan Airlines general manager marketing, Saminda Perera, said: “We are delighted to receive two coveted awards at the World Travel Awards Asia and Australasia Ceremony this year. Whilst one award reinforces our stature as a leader in the ISC region, the other recognises the innovativeness and universal appeal of our marketing communications endeavours.”

The campaign conducted for the launch of a new destination - Melbourne, “Two cities. One spirit” stems from a place of honouring and celebrating the affinity between Australia and Sri Lanka. This was aimed to appeal to the Sri Lankan Diaspora in Melbourne and the Australians who are attracted to adventure on the island. The creative executions were inspired by characteristics that exist in both Sri Lankan and Australian cultures, expressed through visuals that celebrate the similar vivacity and passion deeply rooted in food, art, cricket, surfing and the iconic wildlife that are inherent to both destinations.

The use of location pin as a stylistic element widely recognised by the contemporary traveller was aimed to emphasise on the non-stop connectivity (the point-to-point quality) and that the connections can be extended to onward destinations across the airline’s network.
 
This was a creative collaboration between the airline and its creative agency, JWT Sri Lanka, and this was the second award bestowed upon the campaign after the First Star award at the Golden City Gate Awards, ITB Berlin this year.

Since the launch that took place in October last year, the airline’s operations to Melbourne has been commercially successful and the impactful marketing activations have been a contributing factor to this success.
 
Given the increasing demand and the overwhelmingly positive feedback of passengers who prefer the convenience of direct flights, the airline will be deploying its state-of-the-art Airbus 330-300 aircraft on daily direct flights between Colombo and Melbourne from October 28.

The airline’s A330-300s equipped with a range of novelties such mood-lighting, spacious cabins with full flat-bed seats in the Business Class, a wide range of entertainment features such as movies, live news and weather updates, sports, music, games and wi-fi and GSM connectivity options to make calls or surf the internet during the journey.

The second award “Asia's Leading Airline to the Indian Ocean 2018” is a true testimony to the airline’s efforts to establish a strong presence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean markets. Whist introducing new destinations, the national carrier has also increased frequencies to popular destinations based on the passenger demand.

Perera further added: “We will continue to explore opportunities to expand our reach in the region and endeavour to offer our passengers enhanced connectivity and a wider choice when travelling with us.”

World Travel Awards is voted for by travel and tourism professionals and business and leisure travel consumers worldwide, and this accolade recognises the commitment to excellence that organisations have demonstrated over the last 12 months.

The World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Gala Ceremony 2018 is the region's most prestigious travel and tourism event of the year, which brings together the leading figureheads and VIPs from across Asia and Australasia. The evening also marks the third leg of the World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2018, its 25th anniversary of honouring excellence in the international hospitality industry. - TradeArabia News Service