Meetings,Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions (MICE) tourist arrivals for the current year has been reported as 150,000 tourists. This amount is a significant nearing to the 240,000 MICE tourist target for 2016.Sri Lanka Convention Bureau General Manager,Vipula Wanigasekera said 60 to 65% of this amounts to incentive travellers and they expect a revenue of around US$ 400 m this year.

“Sri Lanka is a country which has an attractive diversity, people often tend to believe that MICE is a substitute term for conference oriented tourists,” he said.

Wanigasekera said they are more focused on attracting more incentive tourists as the they spend two and half times more than the conventional tourists.

Thus the revenue can significantly increased through incentive tourists, he said.

“Sri Lanka presently have the tourist numbers on its side, thus our target is to attract the high spenders.We promote various cultural events that highlight the diversity that is present in the country that will necessarily attract these tourists,”Wanigasekera said.

The country is to host several key events from May onwards. In terms of conferences the country will host conferences of the Asia Pacific Security Repository Group, International Coloured Gem Stones Association, Asia Pacific ICT Affiance, and Civil Aviation Director Generals Conference and the International Conference on Geotechnical Engineering.

A few other events in the MICE event calendar includes, South Asian Investment Conference, National Convention on Quality and Productivity, Construction Expo 2015, Ayurvedha Expo 2015 – International Indigenous Healthcare Exhibition, IEEE Region 10 Congress and Symposium on Wild Cats of South Asia Past and Present. Sri Lanka Convention Bureau is the Government arm established for the development of the Meetings Industry in Sri Lanka, which is functioning under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.