Sri Lanka to tap destination wedding segment to revive its tourism sector

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In an attempt to boost the country’s struggling tourism sector, Sri Lankan authorities are planning to promote the picturesque Indian Ocean island country as an option for global couples looking for a destination wedding on a reasonable budget. The tourism sector, which used to bring an average $4 billion annually to the country, is seeing a slow recovery.

Kimarli Fernando, the chairperson of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), said it would not only help uplift the hard-hit tourism industry but also support sectors like event management, fashion design, and others that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said Sri Lanka has immense potential in the wedding segment and sites such as those in the vicinity of the Sinharaja forest and Cultural Triangle can be promoted, reported Daily Mirror.

A market analysis showed the country if promoted well could earn as much as $230 billion in revenue by 2030.

However, she stressed the country needs to rope in regional countries like the Maldives, India, and Pakistan to tap its full potential. Already, Sri Lanka as a wedding destination is a popular option in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

“Sri Lanka is everything that Asia has to offer,” Fernando said, adding the government will soon launch a dedicated portal, bringing in event management companies, wedding planners, photographers, fashion designers, and others under a single platform.

From long pristine beaches to elephant safaris, Sri Lanka is sought to be projected as an island escape with thrills, festivity, and heritage, in short everything required to be a prize tourism destination. The livelihood of over 150,000 people depends on the industry dealt a blow by the pandemic.

Recently, Colombo has sought also assistance from the Indian government in promoting outbound tourism from India to Sri Lanka.