Chinese travellers courted

Friday, February 5, 2021 - 01:00

Print Edition  Business  

Dinesh Perera

The Sri Lankan embassy in China is actively courting Chinese travellers. Before the pandemic, China produced 169 million international travellers and the country is looking to tap into that pent-up demand.

court /kɔːt/ 作动词 

TRY TO PLEASE 试图取悦 1.（为有所求，尤指寻求支持而）试图取悦，讨好，争取 •Both candidates have spent the last month courting the media. 两位候选人在过去的一个月里都在取悦媒体。

TRY TO GET 试图得到 2.试图获得；博得 •He has never courted popularity. 他从不追求名望。

INVITE STH BAD 招致灾祸 3. 招致，酿成，导致（不愉快的事） •to court danger/death/disaster 招致危险╱死亡╱灾难

HAVE RELATIONSHIP 建立感情 4.（向女子）求爱，求婚 5. 恋爱 •At that time they had been courting for several years. 当时他们已经谈了好几年的恋爱了。

Sri Lankan：斯里兰卡     tap into：挖掘      pent-up demand：潜在需求，被压抑的需求

Sri Lankan ambassador to China Dr Palitha Kohona said, “Sri Lanka is waiting with open arms to welcome Chinese travellers.”

Dr Kohona was speaking to Chinese travel industry stakeholders on a joint webinar by the embassy and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau on 3 February.

Webinar /ˈwebɪnɑː(r)/ n. 网络研讨会；在线会议

Chinese travellers are currently unable to visit many international destinations due to travel restrictions. China is currently facing winter and the culture has a high propensity for international travel.

Propensity  n. /prəˈpensəti/ ~ (for sth)~ (for doing sth)~ (to do sth) （行为方面的）倾向；习性 • He showed a propensity for violence. 他表现出暴力倾向。

Dr Kohona said, “Measures are in place to ensure the safety of both the visitors and the locals. The airport is already open.”

Dr Kohona explained to the Chinese travel stakeholders that Sri Lanka had successfully contained COVID-19.

The country was ranked in the top 10 countries for its management of COVID by an impartial agency. The country has only 300 deaths linked to COVID-19 in spite of having a population of over 22 million. Dr Kohona was of the view that China had successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic.

impartial  adj. /ɪmˈpɑːʃl/  公正的；不偏不倚的；中立的• an impartial inquiry/observer 公正的调查╱观察者• to give impartial advice 提出不偏不倚的建议

Dr Kohona noted that Chinese travellers by visiting Sri Lanka they would be in the unique situation wherein they could do whale-watching in the morning and watch wild elephants in the evening.

As an initial measure, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and the Sri Lankan embassy in China are to facilitate media agencies to travel across Sri Lanka to help build impressions of the country.

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Kimarli Fernando said, “Chinese visitors are the most important to Sri Lanka.” All international travellers are not subject to a minimum stay.

Fernando noted that travellers would be able to travel within Sri Lanka freely within the travel bubble created. Travellers will have to do a PCR test before arrival which is in line with the requirements of most airlines. PCR tests will be done on arrival at the hotels. Visitors may travel more freely after being in the country for 14 days. There will be no PCR tests for children below 12 years.

The airport opening has been successful. Foreign travellers have visited the country without major incident.

The majority of tourists have been from Europe notably Germany, France, and the Netherlands. German media has already been allowed to visit Sri Lanka to help give potential German and other European traveller’s strong impressions of the country.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2021/02/05/business/240749/chinese-travellers-courted