According to  the provisional data of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, 57,142 tourists have arrived Sri Lanka during the first 21 days of May, pushing the year-to-date figure to 498,319. India remains the top source market with 15,052 tourists. Germany accounted for 5,318 of the total tourists, followed by the Russia with 5,273, UK with 3,812, […]

The 10th edition of ‘Sancharaka Udawa’ opened on 19th May 2023 at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exposition Centre. The two-day event, organised by the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and supported by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is being held after a three-year absence following multiple crises. The trade fair […]

Credit: iStock The Colombo to Badulla Railway line, established in 1867 in Sri Lanka, has become an iconic route famous for its stunning natural scenery, impressive engineering feat, and cultural and historical significance. The journey covers 292 km, featuring 46 tunnels, 68 railway stations and takes around 10-11 hours. It is well-known worldwide and has […]

 Tourism Minister expresses confidence to achieve ambitious targets of 2 m arrivals, $ 3 b income  Says industry must bring its ‘A Game’, as 75% more of set target should be achieved in next 7 months  Russia remains strong as top source market YTD with arrivals surpassing 100,000   First 21 days of May draw 57,142 […]

Tourism industry stakeholders joined hands to promote destination Sri Lanka to the Indian market by launching an innovative influencer campaign themed ‘Seeing is Believing’. The initiative is rolled out by Aitken Spence Travels and other tourism partners together with Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau (SLTPB) and SriLankan Airlines. “We are thrilled to receive such a […]

In Budget 2023-24, the government announced a tax collection at source (TCS) of 20 per cent on foreign tour packages.  A couple of days ago, a lot of controversy erupted over credit card payments being brought under the ambit of liberalised remittance scheme (LRS), which meant that credit card payments made abroad would also attract […]

Sri Lanka Tourism hosted Polish celebrity, Dorota Aqualiteja Rabczewska better known as Doda Queen for a few days to promote the destination and create awareness about Sri Lanka and its many travel and holiday opportunities. She was accompanied by her fiancé Pachut Dariusz Michal.   They visited places such as the Dolphin and whale watching with […]

The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) will hold its annual convention in Sri Lanka in July, Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando announced. Addressing the media, Minister Fernando stated that the 68th Convention of TAAI will be held from 06-09 July 2023 in Colombo. The event will be hosted by Sri Lanka Tourism and handled […]

The Miss World Tourism 2023 will take place in Sri Lanka for the first time in July. The pageant is set to showcase the country’s scenic regions and tourism hotspots as 40 contestants from around the world will compete for the Miss World Tourism title. The pageant will be launched on July 20 and take […]

Sri Lanka is the paradise island I have been looking for. A landscape of palm-flanked beaches, cross-hatched paddies and tea-trails, Adam’s Peak and its Buddhist pilgrimages, the skin-plumping damp and heat, the smell of hibiscus and ginger, the food – papaya and mangosteen, the sweet, sticky rice and crab curries. Altogether, it’s very seductive. It’s difficult […]

The group of sixteen social media influencers arrived in the Sri Lanka on an invitation by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and Sri Lanka Embassy in France on 29th April 2023 and concluded the trip on 9th May 2023. Social Media influencers, while exploring Sri Lanka, promoted the highlights of their journey on their digital and social […]

SriLankan Airlines joined the Arabian Travel Mart (ATM) 2023, Middle East’s leading international travel and tourism event, from 1 – 4 May in Dubai, to boost tourism from the Middle East and North Africa. The ATM has been a mainstay on the SriLankan Airlines’ calendar as the event affords unparalleled opportunities to network with travel […]