A visit to the iconic Blue Mosque, a dinner cruise on the Bosphorus, a tour of Ho Chi Minh City, and an exploration of the underground tunnels of Cu Chi were some of the experiences to which 120 leading CEAT tyre dealers were treated recently during separate tours of Turkey and Vietnam.
The dealers were beneficiaries of the ‘CEAT Privilege Class’ loyalty programme under which Sri Lanka’s leading pneumatic tyre manufacturer rewards dealers for their sales performances. While 45 Gold tier members were treated to a five-day tour of Istanbul, 75 Silver tier members were taken to Ho Chi Minh for four days. The packages included return air tickets, hotel stays at the Hilton – Istanbul and Oscar, visa fees, meals, airport transfers and tour transportation and travel insurance at no cost to the dealers. Both groups were accompanied by staff of CEAT.
Among the sites visited by the group touring cosmopolitan Turkey were the Topkapı Palace, or the Seraglio museum that served as the administrative headquarters of the Ottoman Sultans in the 15th century, the Blue Mosque with its magnificent five main domes, six minarets and eight secondary domes, Hagia Sophia, considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and once the world’s largest building, and a cruise on the Bosphorus with five stops offering visitors the opportunity to explore the area from off the ferry.
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is Vietnam’s melting pot of both commerce and culture. In this city known for its French colonial landmarks, including the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the group enjoyed sights and sounds of the colourful shopping areas and sidewalk cafes, the Old Saigon Post Office, a lacquerware factory, the bustling Chinatown, the Jade Emperor Pagoda and a dinner cruise on the Saigon River. The tour also included an exciting exploration of the Cu Chi Tunnels constructed by Vietnamese fighters during their long struggle for independence. A stop at the bustling Ben Thanh market, one of the oldest surviving structures in the city, was on the itinerary too. Here the dealers picked up local handicrafts, branded goods, Vietnamese art and other souvenirs, and enjoyed a taste of hawker-style Vietnamese cuisine.
The dealers eligible to enjoy these fully-paid holidays were those who had earned a certain number of privilege points under the CEAT Privilege Class scheme, over a period of 12 months.
In the recent past, CEAT also treated 40 of its dealers to a tour of Russia and 14 other dealers and distributors to a tour of Switzerland for excelling in promotions organised by the Company.
Considered one of the most successful India – Sri Lanka joint ventures in the manufacturing sector, CEAT Kelani’s manufacturing operations in Sri Lanka encompass pneumatic tyres in the radial (passenger cars, vans and SUVs), commercial (Bias-ply and radial), motorcycle, three-wheeler and agricultural vehicle segments. The brand accounts for market shares of 33 per cent in the radial segment, 65 per cent in the Truck category, 80 per cent Light Truck tyre category, 50 per cent in the Three-Wheeler tyre segment, 31 per cent in the motorcycle tyre segment and 72 per cent in the agricultural vehicle tyre category. The company exports about a third of its production to 16 countries in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Far East.