The Sri Lanka Embassy in Beijing, consistent with its efforts to continuously promote Sri Lankan tourism in the Chinese market, is targeting one million Chinese tourists to visit Sri Lanka after the China travel restrictions are relaxed.

Ambassador, Dr. Palitha Kohona met with the General Manager of Beijing Spring Travel Service Co., LTD, Mr. Yang Yang, on 16 November 2022, in order to further bilateral cooperation in the tourism industry.

The Ambassador Dr. Kohona said that the Embassy is also exploring all possible ways to position Sri Lanka as a preferred destination in the Chinese Market including a formal request to the authorities.

General Manager Mr. Yang said that Beijing Spring Travel Service Co., Ltd is among the top 10 Travel companies in Beijing and Shanghai and has been accorded award certificates many times by the Chinese Government and the travel trade. The annual business turnover of Spring Travel in 2019 was 24.5 billion RMB (3.5 billion USD). Spring Airlines is valued at 50 billion RMB.

The company is already well established in the Sri Lanka travel trade and connected with local travel companies. They have organized a series of group visits to Sri Lanka before the pandemic.

The company owns Spring Airlines with 110 aircraft (A320). The Ambassador has already spoken with the airlines of Chongqing, Shanghai, Shandong and Sichuan. The Ambassador and Mr.Yang also discussed the possibility of Spring Airlines establishing air connectivity with Colombo from Chongqing, Chengdu, and Kunming.

Mr. Yang further said that the company is strategically taking the view that this is the time to do promotions as many prospective travelers and tour companies are now searching for destinations. As soon as the borders are open, the company agreed to designate Sri Lanka as a priority destination in their programmes. They believe that after the restrictions are relaxed, Sri Lanka will be a popular destination among Chinese tourists.

Ambassador Dr. Kohona said that the Embassy is making every effort to raise awareness of Sri Lanka among potential Chinese tourists thus helping to realise the goal of attracting at least one million Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka once the Chinese restrictions are relaxed.

Further, the Ambassador extended an invitation to Mr. Yang and the team of Spring Travel to participate in the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Event which will be organized in mid-December at the Embassy and it was enthusiastically accepted.

Embassy of Sri Lanka

Beijing

17 November, 2022