Whether for business or pleasure, Sri Lanka is a place where people always come back for more, was the message at a reception at the Press Club Brussles Europe on 13 October 2025. The gathering aimed to showcase Sri Lanka’s economic revival and growing potential as both a travel destination and an investment hub.
“One of the safest countries in the world”
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Weeresena said Sri Lanka “has a story to share with Europe and Belgians” about the positive transition of the Sri Lankan economy. After issues faced in 2022, inflation targets are now being met and GDP and revenue are outperforming expectations, demonstrating the country’s “remarkable” economic recovery, he said. What’s more, he argued that as “one of the safest countries in the world,” Sri Lanka’s political stability and neutrality provide a fertile business environment – that will be further showcased both at the Embassy’s Belgium and Luxembourg Business Council in November 2025, and at the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit, from 2 to 3 December, 2025 in Colombo, which can be attended physically and virtually.
Chandana Weeresena, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Belgium © Aris Setya | Travel TomorrowMeanwhile both Commercial Minister Mullegamgoda, and Deputy Foreign Minister Hemachandra focused on Sri Lanka’s “strategic Indian Ocean location” as an economic, logistics, and tech hub sitting between the economic powerhouses of India and China, and its GSP+ preferential market access not only to the EU but also a range of other nations including the USA, the UK, Canada, Switzerland and Türkiye.
© Aris Setya | Travel TomorrowFriendly destination for families and solo travel
As well as top export products such as apparel, tea and spices, and industrial minerals, and areas for investment such as IT, Sri Lanka’s quality of life and tourism offer were hot topics. Named Conde Nast Travel’s most family-friendly destination, Time Out’s top destination for solo female travel in 2024, and among BBC Travel’s top 25 places to visit in 2025, Sri Lanka was also voted Lonely Planet’s No. 1 Country to Visit twice in one decade, noted Sampath Nishshanka, Managing Director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board. Nishshanka attributed that success to the island’s winning combination of compactness (just twice the size of Belgium) and varied charms.
© Aris Setya | Travel Tomorrow“Travellers can experience incredible variety within just a few hours,” he said, flagging historic fort cities, one of the world’s most scenic train rides, tea plantations, and Indian Ocean beaches, as well as Sri Lanka’s eight UNESCO heritage sites, 26 national parks, and astonishing biodiversity, from the highest density of leopards in the world, to the ability to show visitors both blue whales and elephants in the same day.
In addition, Travel Tomorrow Editor-in-Chief António Buscardini shared insights from his recent press trip to Sri Lanka, organised by Travel Tomorrow in April 2025. Drawing on his experience, he spoke about the warmth of the people, the country’s extraordinary natural and historical sites, the Portuguese and Dutch legacy, and the timeless ayurveda wellness traditions.
All these elements, place “Sri Lanka in a strong position to compete in an increasingly competitive global tourism landscape, where 58% of the world’s 745 million travellers chose the European Union as their destination in 2024”, he noted.
Online travel authorisation
For would-be visitors, change is afoot in terms of online travel authorisation, which, from 15 October 2025, should be completed prior to travel. But, speaking exclusively to Travel Tomorrow, Ambassador Weerasena said that visitors will still be able to arrive and receive authorisation on the spot. The shift to prior online authorisation, he emphasised, was intended to better cater to travellers who prefer to know their admin is taken care of before their trip begins. “Some tourists really want to get everything in hand and go,” he said, underscoring how quick and convenient the application process will be. “It’s just about five minutes to get the approval, so then you have a print-out,” which he said eliminates any uncertainty.
After tourist arrivals reaching over two million in 2024 and year-on-year growth of 38%, Sri Lanka is targeting three million visitors for 2025, and five million by 2030.