Sri Lankan Ambassador Palitha Kohona delivered a speech at the event. Photo: Courtesy of the Sri Lankan Embassy in China

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in China and the Ministry of Tourism and Land of Sri Lanka held a tourism cooperation media conference at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing on Monday. Harin Fernando, the Minister of Tourism and Land of Sri Lanka, talked with the media and people from the travel industry about the friendship between Sri Lanka and China, and discussed economic, cultural and tourism assistance given by the Chinese government to Sri Lanka during the decade of the BRI. Sri Lankan Ambassador Palitha Kohona, Sri Lanka Tourism Board Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu and others attended the event.
 
Kohona said that the friendship between China and Sri Lanka was well treasured as it is  a relationship that goes back over 2,000 years. "Today we are seeking to promote Chinese tourism to Sri Lanka tourism on which over 1 million Sri Lankans depend for their livelihood, directly and indirectly. We are particularly grateful to the Chinese government for having included Sri Lanka in the pilot group of countries identified for group travel. We are excited and gushing with enthusiasm to welcome our Chinese friends," he said. 

Sri Lanka hopes to promote tourism cooperation and exchanges between the two countries through this media and travel industry meeting, so that Sri Lanka can become the preferred overseas tourist destination for Chinese people and more Chinese tourists can experience the colorfulness of the warm island country.