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A pair of recent travel trade events in Melbourne and Sydney have highlighted growing interest in Sri Lanka as a tourism destination.

Following a 400% increase in Google searches for Sri Lanka and a significant 40% jump in travel enquiries for the country, the businesses to business events were successful in strengthening ties between the Australian travel trade and the Indian Ocean nation’s tourism suppliers.

Bouncing back after the pandemic, which saw a range of safety protocols introduced for visitors, the Sri Lanka Government is keen to attract international visitors.

Introducing the event, Sri Lankan Minister of Tourism and Lands and Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Harin Frenando, advised “the reality is Sri Lankan destinations are so unique.

“(Our nation offers) remarkable beaches, mountains, activities and culture (and) this event offered direct interaction with industry leaders plus insights from the … Chairman of the Tourism Board.”

“People are definitely looking for new unique destinations. Sri Lanka has the dynamism tourists are looking for.”

“This event appealed to any Australian business in the tourism sector wanting to expand their offerings into Sri Lanka … including travel agents seeking new exotic destinations for people to travel to.”

Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman, Chalaka Gajabahu added “because there is no third party, businesses will get so much out of this event. You get direct access to the travel package providers and travel businesses in Sri Lanka. You get the best priced travel deals and advice on funding support and growth.”

“Sri Lanka is an all in one capsule minus the snow, being a tiny island, all categories are covered … adventure, culture, romance, history, wellness etc. This makes it a very attractive destination for travellers. It is close to India and just a 10 hour flight from Australia.

“Sri Lanka is not currently extensively marketed in Australia. It is time for that to change. It is one of the world’s top destinations to travel to and it is getting increasing popular.”

Images: Sri Lanks's historic Sigiriya/Sinhagiri rocke fortress (top, credit: Shutterstock), and the nation offers adventure tourism experiences (middle) and a network of historic railways (below).

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