Thursday Nov 20, 2025
Thursday Nov 20, 2025
Thursday, 20 November 2025 04:47 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Charumini de Silva
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| Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath | Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha |
Sri Lanka and India yesterday renewed their commitment to elevate bilateral tourism cooperation to new heights, with both countries highlighting unprecedented growth in arrivals, enhanced connectivity, and expanding cultural linkages at the India–Sri Lanka Tourism Connect forum titled “From the Ganges to the Kelani: A Voyage of Friendship and Discovery.”
Speaking at the event, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath said the two countries, bound by shared history, culture, and longstanding people-to-people ties, were natural partners in the travel industry.
He noted that India has firmly established itself as Sri Lanka’s largest source market, supported by improved connectivity and strong cultural affinity.
To reach the ambitious tourism goals, Herath said Sri Lanka is prioritising sustainability, market diversification, enhanced air and sea connectivity, and digital transformation, including aligning with global frameworks such as the Declaration on the Future of Tourism, which promotes integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital tools into national planning.
The Minister said Indian arrivals had “increased notably” in recent months, aided by visa-free entry and targeted promotional campaigns positioning Sri Lanka among the top short-haul destinations for Indian travellers.
He asserted that Sri Lanka is pushing niche segments including serene beaches, heritage tourism, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism, destination weddings, wellness, adventure, film tourism, and culinary experiences.
Citing 2,500 years of historic ties, Herath highlighted “significant opportunity” in religious tourism, especially the Buddhist circuit and Ramayana trail, and invited more Indian filmmakers and investors to consider Sri Lanka for hospitality projects, events, and film production.
“Sri Lanka–India cooperation is the strongest it has ever been,” the Minister said, expressing confidence that the forum would deepen partnerships and new business opportunities.
Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha said tourism was not just an economic pillar but “one of the most organic bridges” in the relationship between the two countries, enriched by shared heritage from the footsteps of the Buddha to echoes of the Ramayana.
He said India’s tourism sector is undergoing a “remarkable transformation,” with domestic travel reaching over 2.5 billion visits in 2024, its highest ever, while international arrivals climbed to 10 million.
“Tourism today contributes around 5% of India’s GDP, supported by massive infrastructure development, enhanced branding, digitisation and sustainability-driven reforms,” he added.
Noting that India now operates over 115 airports, with expressways, upgraded rail networks and high-speed trains making travel faster and more convenient, he said the country has also liberalised its e-visa system for 167 nationalities, including Sri Lankans.
“The focus has shifted from seeing India to feeling India,” Jha said, highlighting the evolution of the Incredible India campaign into an experience-driven national brand.
The High Commissioner also pointed to the transformative role of digitalisation, platforms enabling seamless travel planning, integration of India’s UPI digital payments system, AI-powered visitor assistance and virtual reality (VR) heritage previews now enhancing visitor engagement across the country.
He said outbound tourism from India has surged sharply and in 2024, nearly 30 million Indians travelled overseas, making India the world’s fifth-largest outbound travel market.
“With a young population and rising incomes, this number is expected to double over the next decade. This presents a massive opportunity for Sri Lanka,” he stressed.
In 2024, over 417,000 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka, accounting for about 20% of total arrivals. By October 2025, the figure had exceeded 430,000, around 23% of total visitors. Nearly 150 weekly flights now connect multiple Indian cities with Colombo and Jaffna, while the resumed Nagapattinam–Kankesanthurai passenger ferry and proposed new maritime routes are strengthening people-to-people ties.
“What we are seeing is only the tip of the iceberg. If even 1% of India’s 2.5 billion domestic tourist visits translate to overseas travel to Sri Lanka, that is 25 million visitors—about 60 times the number of Indians who come today,” he explained.
He said Sri Lanka possesses a “distinctive competitive edge” in the region: the ability to offer affordable yet high-quality experiences and unmatched diversity from beaches to highlands within hours.
“India is therefore actively encouraging investments in Sri Lanka’s tourism infrastructure, including hotels, restaurants, and leisure facilities. Iconic Indian hospitality brands such as Taj and, most recently, ITC, have already strengthened the island’s global appeal,” he pointed out.
Jha also highlighted new initiatives announced during the April 2025 State visit of India’s External Affairs Minister, including the construction of a Sinhala-Buddhist cultural centre in Anuradhapura, development of the Seetha Amman Temple in Nuwara Eliya, and enhancement of the Thirukoneshwaram Temple in Trincomalee—projects expected to significantly expand Sri Lanka’s religious tourism offering.
As the two countries navigate what he described as an “exciting juncture,” the High Commissioner expressed confidence that combining India’s scale, innovation, and technology with Sri Lanka’s charm, hospitality, and rich heritage would create a global model for regional tourism cooperation.
“Let us continue this voyage from the Ganges to the Kelani, not merely as neighbours, but as partners in discovery, sustainability, prosperity, and shared development,” Jha said.
Tourism Minister confident of highest-ever arrivals in 2025
Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday expressed strong confidence that Sri Lanka will record its highest-ever tourist arrivals this year, buoyed by sustained market momentum and a sharp revival in key source markets.
“We welcomed our two-millionth tourist this week and expect arrivals to reach 2.4 to 2.5 million by year-end,” he said, reaffirming tourism’s key role in the country’s economic recovery.
The projection aligns closely with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority’s (SLTDA) revised forecasts for 2025, which outline three potential outcomes: a Lower Scenario of 2.415 million arrivals, a Conservative Scenario of 2.676 million, and an Optimistic Scenario of 3 million visitors (https://www.sltda.gov.lk/storage/common_media/Growth_Scenarios_2025_final_1.pdf).
Herath reiterated that Sri Lanka’s medium-term ambition remains unchanged. “By 2030, our target is to welcome 4 million tourists and generate $ 8 billion,” he said, underscoring ongoing efforts to strengthen connectivity, diversify markets, and enhance the overall visitor experience.
According to the latest SLTDA data, Sri Lanka welcomed 117,480 visitors during the first 17 days of November, reflecting a 14% year-on-year (YoY) increase. The surge pushed total arrivals past the two-million mark, reaching 2,008,167 year-to-date (YTD).
India continued to dominate Sri Lanka’s tourism landscape, contributing 451,747 arrivals, or 22% of the total so far this year. It was followed by the UK with 183,189 travellers, Russia with 148,419, Germany with 126,058, and China with 116,947 visitors.
Sri Lanka last recorded its highest annual tourist arrivals in 2018, with 2.3 million visitors.
