Sri Lanka Tourism partners, along with the Sri Lankan Missions Overseas to encourage co-ordinated vision to focus on tourism in the new normal.
Under this setting, the Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion Bureau stated that Dr. Palitha Kohona, the newly named Sri Lankan Ambassador to China, was very appreciated.
The ambassador guaranteed strategic support for tourism in China while attracting high-net-worth visitors to build more demand for the local economy.
Ms. Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, and senior officials received the ambassador and pursued thorough discussions on the potential tourism promotion policy in China.
Sri Lanka has good connectivity to China, where the national carrier, SriLankan Airlines, and other Chinese airlines such as China East, China Southern, and Air China served more than 32 frequencies per week (pre-COVID), rendering it the second biggest tourism driver sector for Sri Lanka. This demand’s relevance is not only because of its scale but also because of its future value.
In 2019, about 169 million Chinese have traveled to other countries, with estimated spending of $135 billion in 2019, according to the Chinese Tourism Academy’s data center. There is a sizeable high market niche seeking unique experiences and leisure, producing further tourism revenue for the local industry. Sri Lanka could not strategically leverage this significant sector because of the aggressive emphasis powered by costs. A reorientation and reorganization must therefore be regarded to focus further on this strategically critical business while at the same time showcasing a lucrative industry of Chinese high-net-worth travelers.
The ambassador’s talks have opened the way to a political agreement on the tourism forecast for the Chinese industry, following the expected global marketing strategy.
