Two Tourism Promotional strongholds got together, as Sri Lanka Tourism and City Alliance for Maritime Silk Road Heritage Conservation and World Heritage Nomination (CAMSR ) further strengthened their bilateral and cultural ties focusing on Heritage protection and development of Heritage Tourism, at a special ceremony and Forum held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Galle, on 19th of May 2025.

CAMSR, is an the organization led by China, which is a city alliance comprised of 34 China cities and one Indonesia city, spreading across Guangzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing, Ningbo, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Chaozhou, Hong Kong, Macau, etc. The CAMSR coordinator office is located in the Guangzhou Municipal Government, and the Guangzhou culture, Radio, Television, and the Tourism Bureau is the responsible government body. The Chinese delegation comprised of Liu Xiaoming Deputy Chief of Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau as the head of delegation together with Zheng Xiaolu Division Director , Hu Jianguang Deputy Division Director and Li Minyong , Chief Curator of Guangzhou Nanyue King Museum attended this event.

The event kicked off with a stunning Traditional dance performance which showcased Srilankan cultural elegance. As a VIP speaker, Sampath Nissanka , Managing Director ,Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau addressed the gathering. He said “This event in Galle underscores the script of our relations that will be crucial for enhancing the full potential of this Initiative. By working together, sharing experiences, and understanding, we can ensure the Maritime Silk Route to become a pipeline for shared prosperity and development of both nations”. He further said,.‘’I strongly believe this initiative will unlock new avenues for tourism, to attract more visitors to Sri Lanka from China, and foster a deep cultural understanding and exchange between our nations’’

Liu Xiao Ming, Chief of Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau expressed his thoughts on this initiative and mentioned that he was pleased to have this long standing partnership with Sri Lanka Tourism in promoting Cultural Heritage among 34 cities in China under the CAMSR program and importance of promoting Galle City as a world heritage site accredited by UNESCO.

Waruna de Silva as a Board member of Galle Heritage Foundation, made a descriptive presentation regarding the ancient relationship between China and Sri Lanka and also the significance of the Galle Harbour as a famous trade hub. Out of the seven voyages of Admiral Zheng He visited Sri Lanka in the 14th Century from Yunnan, four visits were to Galle to explore its potential. He mentioned that specifically the Silk Route, which has been a popular pathway used to connect the two countries during the ancient times since 6th century B.C, Sri Lanka had been an important landmark for maritime activities and trading of spices ever since then. Records of Marco Polo and the Chinese Traveler Monk Faxian are examples for Sri Lanka as a popular Maritime destination. Therefore Galle is considered as a living heritage city and is also becoming a famous hub for International festivals such as the Galle Literary Festival

Ruwan Wijerathna, Chairman , Galle Tourism Department also expressed his views at this occasion by elaborating their role as a provincial tourism body in preserving and developing Galle as a Heritage city.

Thereafter the Maritime Silk Road forum was held, moderated by Li Pei Feng, Global Fellow Partner of CAMSR program where questions were posted to the panel comprised of Li Ming Yong Chief of Guangzhou Nan yue kingdom Museum, Ms. Madubhani Perera, Director PR of SLTPB , Dushan Wickramasuriya, Director/Marketing of SLTPB , Prof. Amalka Wijesooriya Senior Lecturer at the History and Archaeology Department of University of Ruhuna, and Mr. Chandrarathna, Chief of the Galle Maritime Museum on the development of maritime and heritage tourism in China and Sri Lanka.

HNB Assurance PLC (HNBA) has once again reaffirmed its industry leadership in Bancassurance by securing the title of “Best Life Bancassurance Provider in Sri Lanka” for the fifth consecutive year, awarded by the prestigious Global Banking and Finance Review – UK.

Lasitha Wimalaratne, Chief Executive Officer of HNB Assurance, expressed his thoughts on this milestone, stating, “Being named the Best Life Bancassurance Provider in Sri Lanka for the fifth year in a row is not just an honor, it is a reflection of the enduring partnerships we have built especially with our parent company Hatton National Bank along with the passion of our teams. This accolade speaks volumes of our consistent efforts to elevate standards in bancassurance. Our teams continue to innovate, collaborate and break boundaries to deliver meaningful solutions to our customers. I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to the management of Hatton National Bank and our other partners for their continued guidance and support.”

Highlighting the pivotal role of the Partnership Channel, Wimalaratne further added,

“As we accelerate towards our goal of capturing a 10% market share, the Partnership Channel remains central to our growth strategy. Congratulations to the teams involved, I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished and am excited about the journey ahead.”

Seylan Bank continued its collaboration with the Kedella Construction Expo in 2025 for the 13th consecutive year as the event’s Title and Official Banking Partner. Organised by Asia Exhibition and Conventions, the event concluded its most recent edition at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre (BMICH) from the 28th to the 30th of March. The event offered visitors a unique opportunity to explore a comprehensive range of lifestyle products, services, and materials essential for any construction, home improvement, or interior design project.

Marking the 13th consecutive year of the country’s premier build and architecture trade show, Seylan Bank stood ready to serve homeowners, manning a stall to serve customers with an array of the Bank’s portfolio of products and services including home loans, personal loans, leasing facilities, credit cards, savings, and investment products.

Additionally, Seylan Bank’s stall featured a unique service to uncomplicate finances in the form of its HOME LOAN SPECIALISTS. Capable of evaluating and advising customers on every stage of the process of loan application, Seylan Bank’s agile ‘HOME LOAN SPECIALISTS’ not only worked to explain the process and its competitive interest rates but also follow up on clients and keep them updated on progress once the process kicks off. As such, Seylan Bank dissolves the need for customers to reach out to multiple officials at the Bank regarding their loan.

Expanding its portfolio even further, Seylan Bank also offered customers the ability to explore Seylan Solar loans as a means of mitigating the rising cost of electricity bills through the adoption of sustainable and renewable energies. Leveraging relevant tech, the Bank with a Heart offered customers the ability to make the best of the Bank’s network with over 35 solar merchants at a reduced interest rate.

Discussing the success of the latest Kedella Expo and the Bank’s continued partnership with Kedella Construction Expo, Asiri Abhayaratne, Assistant General Manager, Marketing & Sales, Seylan Bank PLC, explained, “Kedella Construction Expo is a unique occasion for us because it represents an opportunity for both Seylan Bank and the Expo itself to play an active role in helping new homeowners from the ground up, and in helping existing homeowners renovate and extend their homes. For this reason, we look forward to a continued future of collaboration as we conclude this year’s event.”

Kedella Construction Expo 2025 featured an expansive 200 trade stalls offering a variety of construction related materials, products, and services allowing individuals and business parties to peruse everything from building materials to home appliances and decorations, housing and real estate, landscaping, furniture, roofing systems, safety and security systems, architectural and engineering consultancy, insurance companies and much more.