Highest in SL hotel occupancy recorded during India-Pakistan match– Hotelier

From left: Maliban Group Group CEO Ravi Jayawardena, Raffella Fashion and Photography CEO Raffella Fernando, Old Nalandians Association of Australia President Dr. Manjula Kulatunga, Dimo Lanka Executive Director Dilrukshi Kurukulasuriya, Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts Senior Vice President Kamal Munasinghe, Kapruka Founder and Chairman Dulith Herath, PMF Finance Chairman Malik Cader, Daily FT Chief Editor Nisthar Cassim, Hemas Hospital Director Dr. Pradeep Edward and Music Director cum 2Forty2 Founder Billy Fernando 

PIC BY PRADEEP DILRUKSHANA

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana 

The highest spikes in hotel occupancy in Sri Lanka’s recent tourism history occurred during the India-Pakistan international cricket match, where hotel occupancy surged to nearly 70 percent, was revealed by a top hotelier at the recently concluded Global Biz Connect 2026. 

Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts Senior Vice President Kamal Munasinghe emphasised that the country possesses significant potential to attract international visitors through well-planned large-scale events. 

Addressing the opportunities within Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector, Munasinghe said that the surge in hotel occupancy up to 70 percent during the much-viewed cricket match demonstrated the strong economic impact that major international events can bring to the local hospitality industry. 

He further stressed that the tourism authorities, sporting bodies and private sector must work together in a unified manner to attract such global events to Sri Lanka, there by strengthening the country’s hospitality and tourism sectors.  

Global Biz Connect 2026, a one-of-a-kind business forum held at Cinnamon Life Colombo, brought together the insights of local corporate leaders and the Sri Lankan diaspora on one platform that shared investment opportunities and international collaboration. 
Organised by the JCI Colombo Mid Town (Junior Chamber International) in collaboration with the Old Nalandians Association of Australia, successfully hosted a thought-provoking panel discussion with influential business leaders, entrepreneurs, professionals, investors and industry experts.  

Old Nalandians Association of Australia President cum Ceilao Group Chairman Dr. Manjula Kulatunga highlighted the importance of leveraging the Sri Lankan diaspora as a powerful strategic asset for the country’s development. 

He emphasised that Sri Lanka has a strong network of successful professionals and entrepreneurs living across the globe who can contribute significantly to investment, knowledge sharing and business partnerships. 

Maliban Group Group CEO Ravi Jayawardena speaking on the importance of strengthening international business engagement said that events such as Global Biz Connect creates a rare opportunity to bring together influential individuals from diverse industries in one place. 

PMF Finance Chairman Malik Cader, who was amongst the other panellists, commended the initiative and remarked that the government should take note of such platforms and consider organising similar large-scale networking and business engagement events in future. 

Thanking all the stakeholders, Junior Chamber International Sri Lanka National Vice President Annya Gunasekara announced that the second leg of Global Biz Connect would be held on July 25, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia, to further strengthen engagement between Sri Lankan businesses and the global diaspora.