The Chinese travel market is one of the top ten markets for Sri Lanka, China is a market which consists of high spending tourists who are keen to have a travel experience which is worth their expenditure, and Sri Lanka is one such destination which caters to their holiday and travel requirements at all times. Further, China’s outbound travel market is driven by powerful demographics. Its 1.4 billion people are becoming wealthier, with steady income and high purchasing power results in increased travel out of the country. Relaxation on travel restrictions by the Government has also contributed positively to this growth.
According to reports, during the first year of the new millennium, most of the overseas trips were made by Chinese residents, which was 10.5 million. By 2018, it increased to 149.7 m, an astounding increase of 1,326 per cent. In less than two decades China has grown into the world’s most powerful outbound market, leapfrogging the US. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Chinese tourists overseas spent $277.3bn in 2018, up from around $10bn in the year 2000.
It has been noted that the world attention to China’s tourism has been shifted from “China visit” to “Chinese Visitors”. Driving promotion campaigns from overseas, governments and the industry has aroused desire and enthusiasm of the Chinese residents for outbound travel. The two nations share many similarities between them, and it will be important to develop more travel and trade connections between Sri Lankan and Chinese counterparts.
Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), together with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing, Sri Lankan airlines offices in Beijing Guangzhou and shanghai, teamed up and worked together at the Chengdu International Tourism Expo (CITE 2019), which was held from 28th November -30th November 2019, held in Chengdu P R of China. Ten travel industry stakeholders from Sri Lanka joined to increase the visibility of the destination, selling the destination as a must –visit place in the world as well as marketing the various products and services available in Sri Lanka, playing a key role as a strategic partner with the Sichuan Tourism Association.
During the opening, the Director General of Sichuan Travel and Tourism Authority stated that Sri Lanka has a great potential in attracting outbound travellers from Sichuan province has now developed as one of the top outbound destination in PR of China.
CITE being the most influential EXPO in western part of China attracted 300 exhibitors with more than 5000 professional visitors. As one of China’s best destinations for tourism, Chengdu, the famous giant Panda province with more than 35 international Airlines flying, offers great opportunity for Sri Lanka to attract western China Tourists to the destination.
A very colourful Sri Lanka Pavilion organized by the Sri Lanka Tourism Bureau, in collaboration with Sri Lanka Embassy and Sri Lankan Airlines was a “One Stop Shop” displaying a vivid array of Sri Lanka’s main Tourists attractions.
Sri Lanka is linked to China through Four Weekly Sri Lankan Airlines flights from Beijing to Colombo Daily from Guangzhou, Shanghai and through a number of other airlines such as Air China from Kunming, Chongqing Air from Chongqing, and China Eastern from Chengdu.
Mr.Alexi Gunasekera, Minister Commercial of Sri Lanka Embassy in Beijing, Mr.Chinthaka Liyanaarachchi, Assistant Director Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau,(SLTPB) Mr. Chinthaka Weerasinghe Sri Lanka Airlines in Beijing, Mr. Dileepa Wijesuriya Sri Lankan Airlines Guanzhou, and Mr.Sujeewa Rodrigo Sri Lankan Airlines Shanghai represented Sri Lanka at the event and participated at numerous parallel events during the CITE promoting Sri Lanka as a destination.