Sri Lanka Tourism launched a multi-city roadshow in China after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The roadshows were held from the 17th to the 21st of April in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou with the aim of promoting Sri Lanka as an attractive tourism destination and reviving its tourism industry.
The roadshow will include B2B sessions and an evening networking event to facilitate discussions and improve business partnerships and over 30 local travel agencies, DMCs, and hotels participated for the event.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening bilateral and cultural ties between the two countries and showcasing the developing steps that are being taken to develop the tourism industry in Sri Lanka. In 2018, tourist arrivals from China were the second largest for Sri Lanka with 265,965 visitors. However, the numbers fell to 167,863 in 2019 due to the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
China has been a long-time friend of Sri Lanka, assisting in cultural, economic, and development partnerships. The country emerged as the world’s top spender on outbound travel worth $277 billion in 2018. The pilot program to resume outbound tourism by groups from China was launched on 6 February, and on 1 March, the first batch of Chinese tourists arrived in Sri Lanka after a lapse of three years.
“The combined effect of pent-up demand, ease of travel restrictions, and regular flights will be a favorable condition for Sri Lanka during the off-peak season,” said Tourism Minister Harin Fernando. China has also started its flight operations to Sri Lanka via China Eastern Airlines and Sri Lankan Airlines and plans to expand air connectivity between the two countries.
Source: DailyFT
