TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
Siddhalepa Ayurvda Health Resort and Spa is now focusing on the Middle East market. Offering a range of treatment packages for clients, the resort organises business networking sessions, FAM tours to Sri Lanka, articles on various media platforms from B2B to B2C, Asoka Hettigoda, CMD, Siddhalepa Group, spoke to TRAVTALK about their B2B strategies for the Middle East market.
Dr. Shehara Rizly
How important is the Middle Eastern market for you?
The Middle East clients understand the importance of Ayurveda and its therapeutic benefits of longevity, detoxification, rejuvenation, and stress busters. Health, wellness and leading a balanced life have become an essential part in today’s world. The age-old Sri Lankan Ayurveda or natural medicinal system offers tremendous options throughout the year at affordable prices for locals as well as expatriates in the region. To better serve the Middle East clientele, we recently obtained a medical licence in the UAE to sell our specialised
Ayurveda products in this important market.
Our intention is to introduce Ayurveda, Yoga, and Meditation Programmes at Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort. They also highlight the benefits of traditional Ayurveda on detoxification, rejuvenation, stress relief and longevity and the health cuisine. The target audience will be prospective health and wellness travel agents, tour operators, journalists, among other interested parties.
What are the key activities that attract visitors from the Middle East?
We are currently looking at conducting awareness campaigns in the Middle East region. We conducted an intimate session with a few travel agents in Sharjah and Dubai last month and we will be present at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to expand our reach by conducting special meetings and a dedicated press and travel agent event onsite. Being the only Sri Lankan company to celebrate the 90 years in 2024, Siddhalepa Ayurveda would be liaising and working together with the travel trade. We will be organising business networking sessions, FAM tours to Sri Lanka, articles on various media platforms from B2B to B2C.
Furthermore, we will be extending special offers for the visitors, paving the way for several more to come and experience the Siddhalepa’s authentic treatment and products. Also, the resort strictly provides female therapists only for female visitors and does not serve meat products, other than fish and chicken.
Are you providing any training for travel agents?
We are extending special offers for the travel agents to encourage them to visit and experience the Sri Lanka-based authentic Ayurveda and its healing. Online training sessions will be conducted in a bid to increase awareness about our brand of Ayurveda. We will be visiting the Middle East market on a regular basis in order to conduct awareness programmes and special training sessions at the offices of travel agents/companies.
How will you incentivise the promoters and travel agents?
Special introductory offers will be extended for Summer 2024 and Winter 2024/25, especially for the promoters and travel agents, aiming to develop the health and wellness travel market segment. Additionally, specially discounted packages and concessions are offered for the travel trade and airline staff. Also, the Sri Lankan health resort would participate at joint promotions conducted by the travel trade in the Middle East and invite the travel trade to visit us at the Sri Lankan pavilion stand number 54 at the Arabian Travel Market 2024.
Can you share about the facilities available at the health resort in Sri Lanka?
Siddhalepa has a family heritage of more than 200 years of practicing Ayurveda. The largest Ayurveda company in Sri Lanka of international standard manufactures more than 600 medicines, operates Ayurveda Hospitals and clinics in Sri Lanka, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, and Maldives, and has purpose-built Ayurveda health resorts and plantations. We offer a wide range of authentic treatment packages for most illnesses or health conditions.
Spread over a spacious seven acres of tropical and indigenous trees, herbal medicinal plants, vines, and bushes, our Ayurveda resort in Sri Lanka, overlooking the expansive Indian Ocean, offers a holistic experience; all this under the expert care of resident physicians, visiting consultants and hospital trained therapists.
The resort’s Ayurveda centre is the only one in the country affiliated with a Siddhalepa Ayurveda hospital with access to a range of medicines produced as per ISO standards by the Group in its factories. The resort offers Ayurveda treatment for stress release, detoxification, weight loss, rejuvenation, longevity and medication for body abnormalities such as orthopaedic issues, including arthritis, nerve disorders such as Parkinson’s and paralysis, ailments in the digestive system, haemorrhoids, depression and other psychological disorders. The treatment based on natural ingredients are expected to entail long lasting results causing no side effects as well.
The resort has 50 rooms, pays individual attention to each visitor and they are daily monitored by the doctors. The special features of the Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort include the inter-connecting rooms, a wide range of herbal plants, privilege to utilise experts of Ayurveda Hospital (in the group of companies), a range of herbal drugs of the company. Arabic speaking interpreters and airport transfers are arranged upon on the visitors’ request.
