Sri Lanka Makes Renewed Push For Canadian Travellers with Turkish Airlines Partnership

After a seven-year absence from Canadian tourism promotion, Sri Lanka is back with a renewed push to attract Canadian travellers, highlighting its extraordinary diversity of experiences, improving tourism performance and convenient air connections through Turkish Airlines.

At a Toronto tourism promotion and networking event Thursday evening, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Professor Ruwan Ranasinghe, joined representatives of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, the country’s Consulate General in Toronto and Turkish Airlines to introduce the destination to Canadian travel professionals.

The event, held under the theme Sri Lanka: Timeless Beauty, Endless Discoveries, marked the first major promotional initiative by Sri Lanka Tourism in Canada in more than seven years, and the first such Canadian campaign to include ministerial-level participation.

Nearly 60 Canadian travel trade and media representatives attended, along with representatives of 10 Sri Lankan destination management companies.

The initiative continues this weekend with a Sri Lanka pavilion at the International Tourism and Travel Show in Montreal, October 30 to November 1.

One Island, Many Experiences

Ranasinghe said Sri Lanka’s greatest selling point is the remarkable range of experiences available within a relatively compact destination.

With an area of approximately 65,600 square kilometres – slightly smaller than New Brunswick —  the Indian Ocean island offers everything from tropical beaches and ancient cities to mountain landscapes, tea plantations, rainforests and abundant wildlife.

“Almost everything can be done, except desert and snow,” Ranasinghe told attendees.

The deputy minister highlighted the country’s eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the sacred city of Kandy, the ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya, historic Galle Fort and the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.

Wildlife is another major attraction. Sri Lanka is home to leopards, elephants, sloth bears and an extraordinary variety of birdlife, while its surrounding waters offer opportunities for whale watching. In fact, the deputy minister said tourists could see blue whales – the world’s largest marine animals – and elephants – the world’s largest land animals – all within one day.

The country’s cultural experiences are equally varied, from Buddhist traditions and ancient architecture to village visits, local cuisine and encounters with tea-growing communities.

The deputy minister also highlighted the Pekoe Trail, a 320-kilometre hiking route through Sri Lanka’s central highlands, divided into 22 stages. Travellers can experience individual sections of the trail while exploring the region’s tea plantations, colonial heritage and mountain scenery.

For Canadian advisors, Ranasinghe suggested, the destination’s diversity makes it suitable for clients seeking culture, adventure, nature, wellness or simply a beach vacation.

Canadian Market Offers Growth Potential

Inoka Gayathri of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau provided an overview of the destination’s tourism performance and opportunities for the Canadian market.

Sri Lanka welcomed approximately 2.3 million international visitors in 2025, according to figures presented at the event.

India remains the largest source market, with approximately 483,000 visitors recorded during the period covered by the presentation.

Canada ranked 11th among Sri Lanka’s source markets, with 35,884 arrivals reported so far this year. There is considerable room for growth. In 2018, Sri Lanka welcomed 52,681 Canadian visitors, a benchmark tourism officials hope to surpass through increased promotion and stronger relationships with Canadian travel sellers.

Gayathri described Sri Lanka as a destination that is “compact, diverse and authentic,” noting that travellers can move from tropical beaches to the cooler hill country within five or six hours.

She also highlighted the country’s 26 national parks, eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites and expanding range of specialized tourism experiences.

Among the opportunities identified were destination weddings, culinary tourism, adventure travel, wellness retreats and community-based tourism.

Sri Lanka’s longstanding traditions of Ayurveda and indigenous medicine are also attracting interest from wellness travellers, while activities such as surfing, scuba diving, hiking, cycling and white-water rafting appeal to adventure seekers.

The destination offers accommodations ranging from boutique properties and heritage hotels to internationally recognized brands.

Turkish Airlines Makes it Easy

Turkish Airlines co-sponsored the Toronto event, emphasizing its role in making Sri Lanka accessible to Canadian travellers.

The airline offers 11 weekly flights from Canada to Istanbul, with onward connections to Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital and principal international gateway. With service from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, Turkish Airlines provides Canadian travel advisors with one-stop routing options to the destination.

Solen Mailoglu, Sales and Marketing Manager for TK in Canada, described the fast-growing carrier as a bridge between Canadian travel professionals and Sri Lankan tourism suppliers.

She also encouraged advisors to consider Istanbul as a potential stopover destination, allowing clients to add another cultural experience to their journey.

The airline representative drew attention to the origins of the word serendipity, derived from Serendip, an ancient name for Sri Lanka.

“We love serendipity, but never leave it to chance,” she said, emphasizing the importance of travel advisors and destination partners in creating memorable travel experiences.

Building Relationships with Canadian Advisors

For Sri Lankan tourism officials, the Toronto event was as much about establishing business relationships as promoting the destination.

Representatives of 10 Sri Lankan destination management companies participated, providing Canadian advisors and tour operators with opportunities to develop contacts and explore potential itineraries.

The Tourism Promotion Bureau highlighted the availability of complimentary tourist visas for eligible Canadian passport holders for stays of up to 30 days. Ranasinghe said the government intends to continue promotional initiatives in Canada in the coming years.

He also emphasized that tourism’s value extends beyond visitor numbers and economic activity.

“Tourism is not merely an economic activity,” he said. “It’s a bridge that brings people together, links cultures.”