Words by Annaliese Dayes I have been left utterly mesmerised after spending 10 days in Sri Lanka. It seems such a blur as we packed in so much in so little time; we ate some amazing food, stayed in wonderful boutique properties, and were spoiled every minute of the day by the Sri Lankan people. […]

In a promising start to December, Sri Lanka crossed the 1.3 milestone welcoming a total of 57,394 tourists in the first 10 days. This is the highest tourist arrivals recorded post-pandemic.  With a target of 1.55 million tourists by the end of the year, Sri Lanka Tourism anticipates a robust month, aiming for a total […]

The High Commission of Sri Lanka in South Africa showcased Sri Lankan food, tea and tourism at the Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria recently serving traditional food (kiribath, kevun, kokis, mung kevun kottu and cutlets) and cups of hot Ceylon tea, the mission said in a news release. The Sri Lankan stall under the theme of […]

The tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka crossed the 38,000 mark in the first week of December, the provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed.   From December 1 to 7, the island nation welcomed a total of 38,046 international visitors. When compared with the first seven days of November, which recorded the […]

This week, the tourism industry saw the official launch of the newest tagline ‘Sri Lanka – You’ll come back for more’, a renewed pitch to promote the island nation, as it looks to revive from the repeated impacts since mid-2019. Although the new tagline made its debut earlier in October at the International French Market […]

Aitken Spence Travels yesterday welcomed simultaneous arrivals of three cruise ships—Vasco Da Gama, Mein Schiff 5 and MS Seven Seas Navigator at the port of Colombo. Vasco Da Gama and Mein Schiff 5 arrived at the Colombo port at 7.00 a.m. and MS Seven Seas Navigator docked at 1.30 p.m. with approximately 4,000 passengers from […]

Sri Lanka expects a surge in Polish visitors to Sri Lanka during the upcoming winter-spring seasons due to an increase in direct flights between the cities of the two countries, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday. According to the ministry, Poland-based Enter Air began its flights to Sri Lanka in November 2023. Ukrainian […]

The luxury cruise ship M.V. Marella Discovery 2 of Marella Cruises with 1,800 passengers and 755 crew on board will make her maiden call at the Port of Colombo today and depart tomorrow.  Aitken Spence Shipping is the local agent to facilitate the cruise liner whilst Aitken Spence Travels is the shore excursion provider offering […]

In view of revitalizing key partnerships of A-PAD Sri Lanka, the A-PAD Board paid a courtesy visit to Aitken Spence PLC to seek avenues of potential collaboration. A-PAD Board Members and the Senior management of Aitken Spence PLC, led by Dr. Rohan Fernando, Executive Director, engaged in a thought-provoking dialogue reflecting on the key successes […]

To increase connectivity between Sri Lanka and India, the SriLankan Airlines has introduced a double daily flight service. It will operate between Mumbai and Colombo—here are the details! With the addition of two daily flights between Colombo and Mumbai, SriLankan Airlines has increased the convenience for travellers arriving at and departing from India’s financial and […]

Earnings in November up 55% YoY to $ 160 m  November arrivals at 151,496 highest for the year and up 153.5% YoY but misses monthly target of 204,114 India, Russia and Germany emerge as top source markets in November Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has demonstrated a robust resurgence, surpassing over $ 1.75 billion in earnings […]

As the month of December begins, bringing in the magic of the festive season, I wish to express my gratitude to our valued partners and the tour operators. Your contribution have been instrumental in the revival of tourism in Sri Lanka and the progress of Aitken Spence Travels. Thank you for your trust, commitment and […]