SL draws high-spending guests for landmark destination wedding

The couple with some guests

Sri Lanka hosted one of its largest international destination weddings this month, bringing more than 800 foreign guests to the Shangri-La Hambantota Golf Resort & Spa in a four-day event seen as a boost to the country’s high-end tourism segment. 

The wedding of entrepreneur Mujtaba Shaikhani and Mumbai-based aesthetic medicine specialist Dr. Hafsha Merchant, held from March 26 to 29, drew visitors from South Asia, the Middle East and Europe, with guests staying between five and seven nights, a duration that significantly lifts per-visitor tourism earnings compared with average arrivals. 

The event highlights Sri Lanka’s growing positioning as a destination for large-scale luxury weddings, a niche that tourism stakeholders have been actively promoting to drive higher-value inflows rather than volume alone.

Shaikhani is known for his leadership in the global insulation industry through Gulf-O-Flex, a brand with a footprint across multiple international markets, while Merchant has built a reputation in Mumbai’s aesthetic medicine space. 

The union brought together business and medical communities across regions, adding to the event’s international profile.