Sri Lanka sets sights on high-end market for 2025: Tourism Minister

Monday, 6 January 2025 04:25 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Stresses need for balanced approach, prioritising both quality and quantity of tourist arrivals
Highlights wellness tourism as key area for industry to capitalise on; attract affluent visitors
Acknowledges visitors misusing tourist visa to engage in business activities and overstay as challenges
Points to need of permissible businesses via partnerships and joint ventures to mitigate illegal activities

Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath

Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath announced this week that Sri Lanka is focusing on enhancing the quality of its tourism offerings to woo high-end travellers this year.

Speaking at an inauguration of a new ayurvedic resort in Bentara, he stressed the need for a balanced approach that prioritises both quality and quantity of tourist arrivals.

“Tourism is not only an industry, it also reflects our history, culture, and heritage,” he said, describing ayurvedic treatments under wellness tourism is a major potential area for the industry to capitalise on and attract affluent visitors for longer stays.

Herath asserted that attracting high-end tourists would require a strategic push towards improving overall service standards, travel experience, and an innovative line of product offerings.

Noting that the country achieved the third highest tourist arrivals last year with over 2.05 million visitors, he said the industry has set an ambitious target to attract 3 million travellers this year.

The Minister also acknowledged challenges in the industry, where some visitors “misuse their tourist visa” to engage in business activities and overstay.

He pointed to the need of permissible business opportunities via quality partnerships and joint ventures to mitigate illegal activities, while simultaneously drawing investment and fostering economic growth.

Such initiatives could generate local employment, encourage cultural exchanges, and ensure that tourism’s benefits extend beyond urban hubs to rural communities.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.