The Sri Lanka Embassy in Beijing, with a view to attracting more Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka, is also actively exploring the possibility of Chinese cruise ships and yachts visiting Sri Lanka.

Ambassador Dr. Palitha Kohona reportedly had a very successful online meeting with China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association (CCYIA) Vice President Zheng Weihang on 23 November.

Vice President Zheng had said that Sri Lanka will be promoted as a new market for Chinese cruise ships. On 15 November, while attending a conference of Chinese cruise ship operators, he had formally proposed that Sri Lanka be designated as a destination for cruise ships following the relaxation of travel restrictions. 

He had proposed creating four/five Sri Lankan cruise itineraries, in which ships will dock in Sri Lanka’s ports for a day, providing the passengers with the option of taking tours in the regions close to the port, thus engaging land operators as well. He specified that the CCYIA will work with the embassy to promote Sri Lanka at cruise-related conferences. In response, Ambassador Dr. Kohona stated that the embassy will also assist with these goals actively. 

Sri Lanka has three well-established ports for cruise ships: Colombo, Galle, and Trincomalee. He stated that there were many cruise visitors from Europe before the pandemic, and recently welcomed the cruise ship, Viking Mars, with 900 tourists on board. He highlighted that other European cruise ships are scheduled to call at Sri Lanka ports in the coming weeks. 

The Ambassador suggested that tourists could experience not only the coastal cities but also the Buddhist sites of the island, like the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy or the lush green forests, home to the biggest concentrations of wild elephants and leopards in Asia.

Vice President Zheng added that CCYIA plans to organise exhibitions of Sri Lankan products in Shanghai (November 2023), Shenzhen (November 2023), and Haikou (April 2023) while also organising exhibitions and sales outlets on Chinese cruise ships to promote Sri Lankan gems, tea, artefacts, and other products.

Ambassador Dr. Kohona said that the embassy successfully participated in the last China International Import Expo (CIIE), with two national pavilions (food and beverages, gem and jewellery). He opined that collaboration with CCYIA will benefit both Sri Lanka and the cruise industry. 

The Ambassador extended an invitation to Vice President Zheng and the CCYIA team to participate in the upcoming Sri Lanka tourism promotion event which is to take place in mid-December at the embassy.

Source: https://www.themorning.lk/chinese-cruise-ships-to-visit-sl-after-travel-restrictions-are-relaxed/