Visa reaffirms long-term commitment to Sri Lanka with tourism and digital transformation push

• Hosts Asia Pacific Leadership Summit in Colombo, highlighting commitment to Sri Lanka’s growth
• Signs MoU with SLTPB to promote leisure and MICE tourism
• Visa Regional President Stephen Karpin affirms support for digitalisation, financial inclusion and tourism
• Says partnership aims to create seamless, secure and digital travel experience for tourists
• Visa and SLTPB to offer digital payment solutions and financial literacy training to tourism-related SMEs
• Announces new ‘Visa Always-On’ innovation platform to unify funding sources under one Visa credential
• Highlights advanced fraud detection tools and global security capabilities to support digital trust
• Extends support to Sri Lanka’s e-governance efforts including digital utility, tax and licence payments

By Charumini de Silva

Visa Regional President Asia Pacific Stephen Karpin -Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

Visa, the global payments leader, yesterday reaffirmed its long-term commitment to Sri Lanka’s economic development and tourism growth, hosting its Asia Pacific Leadership Summit in Colombo. 

The announcement follows the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Visa and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), to boost the country’s appeal as a premier destination for both leisure and Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism.

Speaking to the media, Visa Regional President Asia Pacific Stephen Karpin described its efforts in Sri Lanka as part of a broader commitment to supporting inclusive economic growth, rooted in trust and technological advancement.

“Today represents another important step in a rich journey, one that aligns with the Sri Lankan Government’s priorities around tourism, digitalisation, and financial inclusion,” he said.

He expressed the global payments leader’s belief in Sri Lanka’s potential as an emerging economy.

“Economic progress comes from digital transformation and tourism is a key part of that journey in Sri Lanka. We are proud to support the country as it works towards becoming a top-tier global destination,” he said.

Karpin said Visa’s partnership with the SLTPB will focus not only on boosting visitor numbers, but also on ensuring those visitors enjoy a seamless, secure, and digitally-enabled travel experience.



“We are working to digitalise the tourist corridor by enhancing payment experiences, empowering small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and promoting financial literacy across the sector,” he added. 

As part of this initiative, Visa will collaborate with the SLTPB to provide digital payment solutions and financial literacy training to tourism-related SMEs. These training modules will be available online via the SLTPB website, helping small businesses transition to digital platforms, attract international customers, and grow sustainably.

He also announced the upcoming launch of a new innovation platform in Sri Lanka under the ‘Visa Always-On’ experience. This platform will allow users to link various sources of funds, whether a traditional bank account, a credit line, or loyalty points, under a single Visa credential.

“This evolution in digital payments will allow more flexibility for users and provide a powerful innovation tool for our partners, from students to entrepreneurs and large businesses,” Karpin explained. 

Trust and security, he stressed, remain at the core of Visa’s global operations. As financial services become increasingly digital, so too do security threats. Visa’s risk management systems—including advanced tools like Visa Advanced Authorisation and Visa Risk Manager—help clients and partners identify fraudulent activity in real-time using global data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based scoring. 

“We operate in over 200 countries and territories, which allows us to detect threats wherever they occur and respond swiftly. This is the kind of global insight we are bringing to support Sri Lanka’s digital transformation,” he noted.

Karpin said Visa’s collaboration also extends to e-governance, supporting the Sri Lankan Government in digitising citizens’ payments such as utility bills, licence renewals, and taxes, thereby improving convenience and transparency.

“Together with our partners, we look forward to helping build a stronger, smarter, and more connected future for Sri Lanka,” he added.