BY DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY
KOLKATA | 28 MAY 2026
The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau had held a three city roadshow in India at Ahmedabad , Kolkata and Chennai to boost MICE tourism in the island country. Besides press meets, audio visual shows, B2B meetings with the tourism stakeholders of the country , networking dinner sessions were also held and very soon FAM trips are also planned.
Talking exclusively to The Travel and Tourism Times, Mr. Dheera Hettiarachchi, Chairman of Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management and Sri Lanka Convention Bureau has said that from 2.3 million foreign footfalls last year the tourism sector is eyeing a target of 5 million foreign footfalls by 2030 and to achieve that whopping numbers there will be a lot of infrastructural developments including new hotels and resorts, amusement and theme parks, convention centres, communication development and for that there will be requirement of more skilled manpower and to add those numbers Sri lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management is keen to tie up and sign MoU with reputed Indian counterparts like the IHMs.
The Indian embassy in Sri Lanka is also supporting our MICE Tourism Roadshow in India, he added.
“Sri Lanka and India share a profound 2,500-year connection, and both sides have built upon a legacy of intellectual, cultural, historical, geographical ,political and religious and linguistic interaction, making India a vital source market for Sri Lanka’s tourism. Driven by the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, the country is emerging as a premier MICE destination. With India accounting for over 20% of recent arrivals, this partnership is stronger than ever,” he said.
It can be whatever, it can be cricket , it can be the spices or tea, whatever. We are highly connected. So we have been identified in the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau if you consider what is the role of the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, mainly our mandate, our focus or our scope is to establish Sri Lanka as one of the finest MICE destinations. MICE is the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions and Events, he added.
So this particular segment in the tourism sector also has a kind of very real value and is a prominent industry. If you consider most of the tourism organisations of the world, they consider the MICE segment as one of the prominent segments.
“So considering Sri Lanka and India relationship, we have identified India as one of the strongest and vital and very, very prominent source markets of Sri Lanka. When you consider last year, 2.36 million we had received foreign tourist arrivals, out of which 20 to 22% is from the Indian market. So it’s kind of a great fact that we can think about. So that’s a great potential. That’s the relationship we maintain.
And you are always supporting us. You helped us during Cyclone Ditwah last year and also in the difficulty of the economic crisis. India is really supporting Sri Lanka. That’s the strong bilateral relationship between India and Sri Lanka,” Mr. Dheera Hettiarachchi further said.
So we consider in terms of MICE tourism, this is a good potential. Even though we are facing the global crisis situation with the Middle East war, Sri Lanka is not a kind of a long-haul destination. It’s a very short period of time you can travel to Sri Lanka.
We maintain a visa-free policy to Sri Lanka. Nearly 40 countries offer a free visa policy. India is really identified as one of the prominent source markets.
“ And we are here. Today we are having, it’s not only Kolkata. The day before yesterday we were in Ahmedabad and today we are in Kolkata.
And tomorrow we will be leaving for Chennai to have the same practice and the same B2B,” the Chairman said.
So in the roadshow we are present with the nearly 22 travel agents and hoteliers including the Sri Lankan Airlines representatives . And this B2B (business to business) session is connected with the 22 Sri Lankan MICE operators and B2B planners and the destination MICE organisers and the operators as well with the tourism stakeholders and media of Kolkata.
So they will be connected with around 75 media and 75 of the MICE operators from Ahmedabad and Kolkata and also Chennai. So today also you are here to take this momentum to get the benefit from this win-win situation in both countries, India and Sri Lanka. So when you consider MICE tourism, that’s the main thing, the main platform that we consider how we can develop this particular momentum for the benefits of both countries.
Mr. Dammika Kulatunge, manager in Northern India of the Sri Lankan Airlines said that as all of you know that for Sri Lankan Airlines, India is a very vital market. Because of that reason, currently we operate to nine cities in India and have almost 90 flights a week out of India.
“ Before the global Covid -19 pandemic outbreak , Sri Lankan Airlines used to connect with 11 Indian cities, but now it is connected to nine cities and very soon Ahmedabad will also be included in that list. However, the Kolkata – Colombo direct flight of Sri Lankan Airlines will take more time to resume,”he added.
So, it’s a very vital market and even for our travellers or Leisure making passengers travelling out of Kolkata also, we have currently, unfortunately, we don’t fly to Kolkata anymore, but we have organised so many interline partners to feed into our network out of India from the nine points. So, I’m sure in terms of connectivity, there’s absolutely no problem.
Ms. Malkanthi Welikala, Manager Marketing of Sri Lanka Convention Bureau said that 2.3 million international tourists travelled to Sri Lanka last year, with India contributing as the top source market with 22 percent contribution with over 2,36,916 footfalls. This year in the first six months out of one million foreign travellers 1,35,643 are from India. Though in April this year the traffic from India has reduced to about 22 percent compared to the same month last year due to the gulf crisis.
Though November to April is the best time to visit Sri Lanka for leisure travellers, MICE tourism can be held in all seasons.
Here is why Sri Lanka is uniquely positioned for your next MICE event:
Unmatched Proximity: Skip the long-haul flights. Sri Lanka is just a short hop away, making it incredibly convenient for Indian delegates and travelers.
- Seamless Travel: Enjoy a hassle-free journey with Sri Lanka’s visa-free policy, which grants easy access for travelers from India and nearly 40 other countries.
- Shared Heritage: Deep historical, cultural, and political ties create a welcoming, familiar, and highly connected environment for Indian corporate groups.
- Proven Resilience: Bound by a enduring bilateral relationship, Sri Lanka remains a safe, stable, and highly rewarding destination, fully equipped to host world-class meetings and events.
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