“Ayubowan”: Sri Lanka Extends a Warm ‘May You Live Long’ Welcome to India Through Mega MICE Roadshow Series
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- Bilkul Online | By Rafat Quadri
- Ahmedabad | 26 May 2026
With the traditional Sinhala greeting “Ayubowan” — meaning “May you live long” — Sri Lanka is extending not just a welcome, but a heartfelt cultural embrace to Indian travellers and business partners through its expansive three-city MICE roadshow initiative across Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Chennai.
The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, operating under Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, has launched the ambitious outreach programme to further deepen tourism, cultural, and business ties with India, which today remains Sri Lanka’s largest inbound tourism market.
The first roadshow was hosted on May 25 at Crowne Plaza Ahmedabad City Centre, followed by Kolkata on May 27 at ITC Sonar and Chennai on May 29 at Pullman Chennai Anna Salai. Designed as a major engagement platform for the Indian travel and corporate ecosystem, the initiative focuses on promoting Sri Lanka as one of South Asia’s most attractive destinations for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE), luxury holidays, destination weddings, and experiential tourism.
A media conference was also held in Ahmedabad on Monday noon, where Dheera Hettiarachchi, Dilip Masrani, and Suman Udhayakumaram jointly addressed members of the press and highlighted the growing tourism, aviation, and MICE opportunities between India and Sri Lanka. The speakers emphasized Sri Lanka’s strong connectivity, affordability, natural beauty, cultural affinity with India, and expanding hospitality infrastructure while expressing confidence that Indian tourist arrivals — especially from Gujarat — will continue to witness significant growth in the coming years.
Leading the delegation is Dheera Hettiarachchi, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, who has been actively engaging with Indian travel trade leaders, MICE planners, media representatives, corporates, and tourism stakeholders during the India tour.
A 24-member Sri Lankan delegation comprising leading hoteliers, tour operators, destination management companies, and tourism stakeholders is participating in the initiative, showcasing the island nation’s world-class hospitality, convention infrastructure, beaches, hill stations, wildlife experiences, wellness tourism, adventure activities, nightlife, and cultural heritage.
Accompanying the delegation is Malkanthi Welikala, Manager Marketing of the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, who has been assisting Dheera Hettiarachchi and the Sri Lankan team in strengthening partnerships with Indian MICE operators, travel companies, and tourism associations throughout the promotional campaign.
India today contributes more than 22 per cent of Sri Lanka’s total tourist arrivals and continues to dominate as the island nation’s most important tourism source market. Tourism stakeholders pointed out that Gujarat, in particular, is witnessing a steady rise in outbound travellers choosing Sri Lanka for holidays, wellness tourism, family vacations, honeymoons, and corporate incentive travel.
According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Sri Lanka welcomed 531,511 Indian tourists in 2025, representing nearly 22.5 per cent of the country’s total arrivals. Tourism earnings crossed USD 3.2 billion during the same year, while 2025 also marked the highest-ever number of Indian visitors received by Sri Lanka.
The momentum has continued strongly into 2026, with 221,953 Indian visitors among the 951,742 tourists who travelled to Sri Lanka between January and mid-May this year.
Dheera Hettiarachchi said Sri Lanka today offers Indian travellers a rare combination of accessibility, affordability, luxury, natural beauty, and cultural familiarity.
“India remains one of Sri Lanka’s most valued tourism partners. Sri Lanka’s close proximity, excellent connectivity, premium hospitality infrastructure, and rich diversity make it an ideal destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions, weddings, and leisure travel,” said Dheera Hettiarachchi.
“These roadshows are about building meaningful relationships with Indian travel professionals and corporate partners while showcasing the incredible experiences Sri Lanka offers within a short travel distance,” he added.
Suman Udhayakumaram, Manager – Western India for SriLankan Airlines, highlighted the strong and seamless connectivity that continues to boost travel demand between the two countries. “Connectivity between India and Sri Lanka today is seamless and in a much stronger position than ever before. SriLankan Airlines operates nearly 90 weekly flights connecting Sri Lanka with nine Indian cities, while IndiGo and Air India are also expanding services across major Indian markets,” said Suman Udhayakumaram.
“This extensive network gives Indian travellers enormous flexibility and convenience whether they are travelling for leisure, conferences, weddings, business meetings, or incentive tourism,” he added.
Dilip Masrani, Chairman of the Gujarat Chapter of the Travel Agents Federation of India, described Sri Lanka as a destination that perfectly blends untouched natural beauty with modern tourism comforts.
“Sri Lanka has everything that we Indians look for in a tourist destination. I have personally visited Sri Lanka at least three times and every time I was spellbound by its beauty,” said Dilip Masrani.
“What makes Sri Lanka unique is that it is not a cement-and-concrete jungle. It is a serene, green, and beautiful country ideal for people who genuinely admire nature. Yet alongside this natural beauty, Sri Lanka also offers the latest hotels and accommodation, recreational activities, adventure sports, shopping, and vibrant nightlife. It offers the best of both worlds,” he added.
Sri Lanka’s growing popularity among Indian travellers is also being driven by affordability and easier travel access. The devaluation of the Sri Lankan Rupee has made the island nation highly economical for Indian tourists, with one Indian Rupee currently valued at nearly 2.5 Sri Lankan Rupees. The introduction of a free 30-day visa for Indian travellers has further reduced travel barriers and boosted demand.
With short flight durations of just two to three hours from major Indian cities, deep Ramayana and Buddhist cultural links, and a familiar “home-away-from-home” feeling, Sri Lanka continues to remain one of the most preferred overseas holiday destinations for Indian travellers.
Increasingly recognised among “The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2026,” Sri Lanka offers an extraordinary range of experiences — from the UNESCO-listed Sigiriya Rock Fortress and the sacred Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic to the colonial-era Galle Fort, wildlife adventures at Yala National Park, tea gardens in Nuwara Eliya, scenic beauty in Ella, and beachside luxury in Bentota.
As Sri Lanka reaches out to India with the spirit of “Ayubowan,” the message is clear — beyond business and tourism, the island nation is inviting Indian travellers to experience warmth, heritage, nature, hospitality, and meaningful human connection in one unforgettable destination.
“From soulful hospitality to unforgettable flavours and experiences, Sri Lanka promises Indian travellers a journey that lingers long after the holiday ends”
(Rafat Quadri can be contacted at editorbilkul@gmail.com)
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