Sri Lanka Intensifies Tourism Promotion Efforts in China

Beijing, June 2026 – The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing, with the support of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, successfully hosted a Sri Lanka Tourism Briefing and Networking Reception on June 8, bringing together more than 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 attracted leading Chinese travel companies and media organizations, including China Tourism Group Travel Services Corporation Limited, China International Travel Service, China Youth Travel Service, Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily, and representatives from SriLankan Airlines and Beijing Capital Airlines.

The briefing was led by Poornima Gunasekera and marked the resumption of the Embassy’s direct engagement with China’s travel trade and media community after a considerable period.

Strengthening Tourism Ties Ahead of 2027

The event also served as a platform to introduce 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 more than 2,000-year-old historical ties between Sri Lanka and China through the ancient Maritime Silk Route. She emphasized tourism as a key driver of people-to-people connections.

She noted that Sri Lanka welcomed over two million international visitors 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.

Ambitious Growth Target for Chinese Arrivals

Comparing tourism figures from 2025, she noted that:

• Thailand attracted approximately 4.5 million Chinese visitors.
• Malaysia welcomed around 3.4 million Chinese visitors.
• Sri Lanka recorded approximately 132,000 arrivals from China.

She described this gap as evidence of significant untapped potential and outlined a long-term goal of increasing Chinese tourist arrivals to one million annually.

According to her, achieving this target would generate substantial benefits through increased tourism revenue, job creation, investment opportunities, and stronger bilateral relations.

New Tourism Strategies

As part of the strategy, Sri Lanka plans to position itself as an extension of Southeast Asian travel routes under the theme:

“Go Beyond One Destination – Discover the Ultimate Asian Dream Vacation.”

The initiative aims to encourage Chinese tourists already visiting Thailand and Malaysia to include Sri Lanka in their travel itineraries.

She also highlighted opportunities for closer tourism cooperation with Maldives, promoting combined Sri Lanka–Maldives travel packages due to the short flight distance between the two destinations.

Beijing–Colombo Direct Flights to Resume

One of the key announcements at the event was the confirmation that Beijing Capital Airlines will resume direct flights between Beijing and Colombo in September 2026.

The service is expected to strengthen tourism, business, and people-to-people connectivity and will complement the 23 weekly flights currently operating between mainland China and Colombo.

Tourism Promotion and Industry Collaboration

The Embassy also announced two Familiarisation (FAM) Tours for Chinese media representatives and travel industry professionals who have not previously promoted Sri Lanka. The programmes will be conducted in collaboration with the SLTPB to provide firsthand experience of the destination.

In addition, plans were unveiled for:

• Tourism business matchmaking programmes between Sri Lankan and Chinese stakeholders.
• Cultural and tourism roadshows across China.
• Promotional events showcasing Sri Lankan culture, cuisine, tea, heritage, and tourism attractions.

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

The event concluded with a networking reception, while the Embassy reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with tourism authorities, airlines, media organizations, and Chinese partners to expand tourism cooperation and strengthen the long-standing friendship between Sri Lanka and China.