Sri Lanka launches major tourism push in China to boost arrivals

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing, with the support of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), successfully hosted a Sri Lanka Tourism Briefing and Networking Reception on 8 June 2026, bringing together over 120 representatives from China’s travel trade, media, tourism investment sector, airlines, content creation industry, and the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector.

The event was attended by leading Chinese travel companies and media organisations, including China Tourism Group Travel Services Corporation Limited, China International Travel Service (CITS), China Youth Travel Service (CYTS), Spring Tour, Mafengwo, Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily, Global Times, Guangming Online and China Times, along with representatives of SriLankan Airlines and Beijing Capital Airlines.

Led by Deputy Chief of Mission Poornima Gunasekera, the briefing marked the resumption of the Embassy’s direct engagement with China’s travel trade and media community after a considerable period. It also provided a platform to outline new initiatives aimed at strengthening tourism cooperation between Sri Lanka and China ahead of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2027.

In her keynote address, Gunasekera highlighted the longstanding historical ties between Sri Lanka and China, spanning over 2,000 years through the ancient Maritime Silk Route, and emphasized tourism as a key driver of people-to-people exchanges. She noted Sri Lanka’s strong tourism recovery, with over two million international arrivals in 2025, and reaffirmed the country’s reputation as a safe, peaceful and welcoming destination. She also highlighted the Government’s expanded visa-free entry programme covering 40 countries, including China.

She further showcased Sri Lanka’s diverse tourism offering, noting that within 65,610 square kilometres visitors can experience beaches, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, wildlife safaris, tea country, wellness tourism, adventure activities, cultural heritage and authentic hospitality. Improved connectivity was also highlighted, with a direct Beijing–Colombo flight taking around seven hours.

Turning to market trends, she said that in 2025 Thailand attracted around 4.5 million Chinese visitors and Malaysia about 3.4 million, while Sri Lanka recorded approximately 132,000 arrivals from China. She described this gap as evidence of significant untapped potential in the Chinese outbound tourism market and outlined a long-term vision of increasing Chinese arrivals to Sri Lanka to one million annually, emphasizing broader benefits including revenue growth, employment generation, investment and strengthened bilateral relations.

As part of this strategy, she proposed positioning Sri Lanka as an extension of Southeast Asian travel routes, encouraging Chinese tourists already visiting Thailand and Malaysia to include Sri Lanka in their itineraries under the theme “Go Beyond One Destination – Discover the Ultimate Asian Dream Vacation.” She also highlighted prospects for closer cooperation with the Maldives, noting the short flight distance between the two destinations and promoting combined travel packages.

A comprehensive tourism presentation, delivered in both English and Chinese, provided updated insights into Sri Lanka’s tourism products, connectivity, investment opportunities, conference and incentive travel facilities, and recent sector developments.

A key announcement confirmed that Beijing Capital Airlines will resume direct flights between Beijing and Colombo in September 2026, restoring a vital air link and strengthening tourism, business and people-to-people connectivity. This service will complement the 23 weekly flights currently operating between Mainland China and Colombo.

During the interactive session, the DCM announced two Familiarisation (FAM) tours for Chinese media representatives and travel industry professionals who have not yet promoted Sri Lanka. These programmes, implemented with the SLTPB, aim to expand Sri Lanka’s network of tourism promoters and provide firsthand exposure to the destination.

The Embassy also outlined plans for a tourism business matchmaking programme between Sri Lankan and Chinese stakeholders, as well as a cultural and tourism roadshow in China showcasing Sri Lanka’s culture, cuisine, tea, heritage and tourism offerings.

A highlight of the event was the participation of Chinese travel influencer Alex Bao, whose content has attracted over 100 million views. Having visited more than 100 countries, he expressed strong interest in Sri Lanka, noting that the briefing significantly increased his intention to experience the destination.

Chinese companies interested in tourism investment and MICE tourism also participated, with strong engagement recorded around cooperation, investment, media collaboration and destination promotion. The briefing concluded with a networking reception.

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with SLTPB, airlines, media organisations, travel industry stakeholders and Chinese partners to expand tourism cooperation, increase visitor arrivals, and further strengthen the longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and China.