Business
‘Hello Again’ virtual tourism awareness session held
Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the US Ravinatha Aryasinha has observed that the credibility Sri Lanka Tourism earned in caring for the tourists who made lengthy extensions of their stay in the country at the time COVID broke out, and Sri Lankan Airlines being one of the few carriers that continued to fly when most commercial airline fleets were grounded, should give confidence to international travelers to visit the island once again, now that travel for tourists has resumed.
Ambassador Aryasinha noted that prior to COVID curtailed global travel, tourist arrivals from the US had grown by 260% from 2010 to 2019, an annual average growth well over 20%, making the US one of the fastest-growing tourist arrival countries, which mainly drew niche tourists visiting and also staying longer.
The ambassador made these comments on January 27, when he hosted a virtual ‘Hello Again ; Sri Lanka tourism awareness session’ to announce the re-opening of Sri Lanka for international tourists from the January 21, and share details of the strategy adopted to ensures tourists enjoyed their stay, while being protected from COVID. The event was organized by the Sri Lanka embassy in Washington D.C., with assistance from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and the Sri Lankan Airlines GSA office in the U.S., and attracted more than 60 tour & travel partners and media personal, including Expedia and Priceline.
Chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism Kimarli Fernando said, Sri Lanka is “safe and exciting even during the pandemic”. She noted that “Sri Lanka does not require a minimum number of days to stay in Sri Lanka within the ‘Bio Bubbles’ introduced by the SLTPB. While staying in a secure level 1 hotel recognized by Sri Lanka Tourism, or multiple hotels if needed within the ‘Bio Bubble’, they could use all the facilities of the hotels including SPA, the pool and the restaurants and visit tourist sites within the bubble. These level 1 hotels which have been certified by KPMG, as well as Ernst & Young, provide accommodation exclusively for international tourists. After an initial 14 days of the stay within the ‘Bio Bubble’, travelers will be able to exit from it at any time subject to having a negative PCR test, and be able to interact with the local community. The tourists are required to undergo several PCR tests during their stay, and medical insurance with a premium of 12 dollars covered all the expenses related to transportation and ICU facility in the event of any difficulty.”
Joining the discussion, Chairman, Airport, and Aviation Major General (Rtd) G.A Chandrasiri welcomed passengers to the two Sri Lankan airports – Colombo and Mattala, and emphasized that maximum precautionary measures have been taken to ensure protection of the passengers’ safety.
CEO of the Sri Lankan Airlines Vipula Gunatileka said, although Sri Lankan does not fly to North America, through its strong partnership with ‘One World’, they have solid relationships with British Airways from Toronto, as well as with Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines, whereby Sri Lankan Airlines is able to help tourists from different gateways it has connections with.
Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority Upul Dharmadasa said, the Civil Aviation Authority is working closely with the airlines around the world to facilitate the travel of tourists to Sri Lanka, and reviewing processes constantly to stay abreast of the latest health guidelines.
Sri Lankan Airlines GSA for US, Canada and the Caribbean Dilan Ariyawansa, elaborated on the connections from the various North American cities to Sri Lanka, and the prospects seen of increasing US travelers to Sri Lanka through the pandemic period and beyond.
Director Marketing of Sri Lanka Tourism, Dushan Wickramasuriya, highlighted the potential of the U.S market to attract tourists to different sectors in Sri Lanka – soft adventure, cruise travel, wellness tourism, wildlife, and to promote luxury villas. He said travel partners can also sell tailor-made itineraries encouraging tourists to travel to Sri Lanka to spend few days, when planning to visit countries like Thailand, Maldives, India and others in East Asia and South Asia.
The event coordinated by Second Secretary Niranga Palipana, concluded with an interactive session, where US travel partners sought clarifications and made suggestions on expanding the programme.
Business
‘ComBank ends Q1 as first private sector banking group on the cusp of Rs 3 Tn. assets milestone’
The Commercial Bank of Ceylon Group has made a characteristically strong start to 2025, recording healthy profit and balance sheet growth in the first quarter of the year.
Comprising of Sri Lanka’s largest private sector bank, its subsidiaries and an associate, the Group reported in a filing with the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) that assets reached Rs 2.999 trillion as at 31st March 2025.
Gross income for the quarter grew by 9.85% to Rs 88.10 billion, while interest income improved by 3.14% to Rs 72.60 billion. Interest expenses reduced by 10.09% to Rs 38.38 billion as a result of repricing of liabilities amidst the lower rates regime that prevailed, generating a 23.53% growth in net interest income, which amounted to Rs 34.21 billion for the three months reviewed.
Total operating income grew by 33.40% to Rs 46.62 billion, but the Group’s provision for impairment charges and other losses was increased by 110.44% to Rs 7.23 billion with additional provisions made on a prudential basis for individually-significant customers, which resulted in an improvement in the Bank’s impaired loans (Stage 3) ratio.
Building on the momentum of its groundbreaking “Women in Tourism” initiative, Intrepid Travel Colombo, in collaboration with the Market Development Facility (MDF) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), successfully conducted another impactful workshop—this time focusing on women business owners in the tourism sector.
Held in Kandy on Saturday, 5th April, the session brought together 15 dynamic female business owners from the Central Province with a shared passion for responsible tourism and sustainable business. The workshop forms part of Intrepid’s ongoing commitment to advancing gender equality and empowering women across the tourism value chain in Sri Lanka and follows the inaugural training program held in September last year which targeted aspiring female tour leaders.
This insightful session was tailored to uplift and support women who are already leading or managing businesses within the tourism ecosystem, and hailing from the Central Province.
“This was an impactful day of learning, sharing, and growing together,” said Poornaka Delpachitra, Country GM of Intrepid. “Our focus this time was on women business owners—those who are already shaping Sri Lanka’s tourism industry in meaningful ways but often face unique challenges in accessing resources, networks, and recognition. By creating a space for peer connection, leadership development, and shared learning, we’re investing in a stronger, more inclusive tourism sector.”
The training session was designed to strengthen key leadership and entrepreneurial skills such as business strategy, confidence-building, marketing, and innovation in sustainable tourism. It also provided participants with valuable networking opportunities and a sense of solidarity, reinforcing the message that women are not alone in their journeys.
Colombo Coffee Company, the largest total coffee solutions provider in Sri Lanka’s and a fully-owned subsidiary of the world’s largest Ceylon Tea exporter Akbar Brothers, has appointed Kushan Samararatne as the Chief Executive Officer.
With a career marked by strategic foresight, operational excellence, and transformational leadership, Kushan brings a wealth of experience and innovation to his new role. As General Manager, he led Colombo Coffee Company to unprecedented heights during his tenure.
Kushan’s impact at Colombo Coffee Company extended far beyond financial metrics. Under his dynamic leadership, the company successfully established its first in-house production unit, developed many local coffee blends, and launched roasting operations, making significant strides toward vertical integration and value creation. His deep commitment to quality was further evidenced by the company aligning its operations with Lavazza’s international standards – reinforcing Colombo Coffee Company’s reputation for excellence in every aspect of its operations.
The development of a country depends on the productive contribution that its people make towards the nation. — Prime Minister
The Prime Minister participated in the 77th commemoration of AL- NAKBA for Palestine.
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