The first group of Chinese tourists to arrive via direct flight to Sri Lanka following the COVID-19 pandemic reached the Katunayake Airport on Wednesday (1) night.
Accordingly, 125 Chinese tourists reached Sri Lanka from Guangzhou aboard a SriLankan Airlines flight at 11:10 PM.
Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, State Foreign Minister Tharaka Balasuriya, and Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong welcomed them to Sri Lanka.
From the 1st of April, 9 direct flights will operate between China and Sri Lanka per week.
China was a leading source market for inbound tourism to Sri Lanka and one of SriLankan’s premier leisure traveller segments before the pandemic, and SriLankan is positioning for a strong comeback in China upon its return.
With Chinese travellers eager to make up for lost time in globetrotting, SriLankan will be working closely with the local travel trade to reignite enthusiasm for Sri Lanka as a leisure destination in China.