Cinnamon FOT Keynote Speaker features Sri Lanka on CNN Business Traveller

Show by host Richard Quest premiers 8th Jan

CNN’s foremost international business correspondent and presenter Richard Quest will feature Sri Lanka in the newest edition of CNN Business Traveller. The programme will be aired on January 8th at 14:00 IST (Premiere) (followed by repeat telecasts on Thursday, 8th January at 2300 IST, Saturday, 11th January at 1200 IST, Sunday, 12th January at 0100 IST  / 1700 IST, Saturday, 18th January at 1800 IST, Sunday, 19th January at 0700 IST  / 1200 IST, Monday, 20th January at 0100 IST).

As a part of the multiple campaigns implemented by Cinnamon to spearhead the hard-earned and expedited recovery of the Island as the world’s top travel destination, Richard Quest was hosted in Sri Lanka in September 2019 for the Cinnamon Future of Tourism Summit during which the production of the CNN Business Traveller documentary took place.

Quest travelled to various locations in Sri Lanka experiencing Cinnamon hospitality. During his stay at Cinnamon Lodge Habarana, he witnessed the Elephant Gathering, one of the most spectacular wildlife events in the world along with some of the simpler pleasures of a refreshing drink of sweet king coconut by the wayside and authentic Sri Lankan cuisine at the property. The sunset high-tea overlooking the Minneriya Tank was a highlight of Quest’s stay in Habarana. In Colombo, he was hosted at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo, the venue of the conference where he had a one-on-one with Krishan Balendra, the chairman of John Keells Holdings on the iconic development Cinnamon Life which is a 100% locally owned integrated development set to change the landscape of the city of Colombo. His five-day experience of multiple destinations was made possible by Cinnamon Air’s scenic flights.

Speaking on the partnership with CNN, Dileep Mudadeniya, Vice President John Keells Groups, Head of Brand Marketing and  CEO of the Cinnamon Life Mall stated, “we were in long discussions with CNN, which lasted about 6 months to clear the dates of the CNN celebrity host. We are thankful to CNN’s PR and commercial teams who assisted us in making this a reality. Our special thanks also goes to Richard Quest for taking the initiative to host this programme for Sri Lanka during the Cinnamon Future of Tourism Summit.”

During his visit, the keynote speaker of the Cinnamon FOT Summit discussed insights and strategies that are integral in overcoming challenges to the hospitality and tourism industries of a destination especially after a crisis. His focus was on Looking Beyond the Crisis, emphasizing the types of crises that destinations around the world have dealt with and overcome, how tourism operators can look beyond challenges during times of crisis and how they can tap into the potential of the industry and what factors destinations, hotels and other stakeholders need to keep in mind in order to continuously evolve and keep up with a rapidly changing industry.

The documentary to be aired this week discusses travel, safety and security, presenting Sri Lanka as a nation recovering from the terror attacks of April 2019. “On the streets, and in the wild, it’s safety first,” stated Quest.