Saturday Jan 17, 2026
Saturday Jan 17, 2026
Saturday, 17 January 2026 01:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
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| SLAITO President Nalin Jayasundera |
By Charumini de Silva
Sri Lanka Tourism has successfully concluded a major tourism promotion initiative in India, its largest source market, covering key cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, as part of efforts to diversify arrivals and attract higher-spending visitors throughout the year.
The campaign was carried out in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and SriLankan Airlines, underscoring a coordinated public-private sector push to strengthen Sri Lanka’s presence in the Indian market.
SLAITO President Nalin Jayasundera said the initiative received strong support and positive feedback from Indian counterparts, particularly the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI).
“The initiative was successful. We expressed gratitude to our counterparts in India, particularly TAAI and the TAFI, for being very supportive. We got very positive feedback from them,” he told the Daily FT.
According to Jayasundera, Indian travel industry representatives indicated that Sri Lanka has the potential to attract up to one million Indian tourists in 2026, given India’s year-round travel patterns and Sri Lanka’s proximity, shared cultural links and strong appeal for pilgrimage tourism.
India remained Sri Lanka’s largest source market in 2025, contributing 531,511 visitors or 27% of total arrivals.
Jayasundera noted that growth is expected particularly in niche segments such as destination wedding tourism, golf tourism, MICE travel and spiritual tourism.
He also highlighted that Sri Lanka’s free-visa policy has emerged as a key driver in boosting Indian arrivals, lowering barriers to travel and encouraging short-haul visits.
India is projected to generate around 50 million outbound travellers by 2030, with an estimated 70% preferring destinations within a five-hour flying radius, placing Sri Lanka in a highly competitive position.
“Indian travel agents also pointed out that Sri Lanka’s unique ability to offer beaches, mountains, cloud forests and ancient heritage sites within a few hours’ drive makes it especially attractive to a wide range of Indian traveller profiles,” he added.
Jayasundera said there was strong consensus on the need for deeper collaboration through joint marketing campaigns and the creation of high-quality, consolidated digital content to further boost destination awareness and conversions.
“The demand is there. The cohorts match. The signals are strong. With the right partnerships and focused execution, Sri Lanka’s numbers can grow exponentially,” he added.
In a further boost to industry ties, Jayasundera said that TAAI has accepted an invitation to hold its Executive Committee meeting in Colombo in the last weeks of the first quarter of 2026, a move expected to strengthen engagement with the Indian travel trade.
Supporting connectivity, SriLankan Airlines currently operates 126 flights per week to 14 cities across India, providing extensive access and reinforcing India’s role as a cornerstone market in Sri Lanka’s tourism recovery and growth strategy.
