Fresh push to promote ‘wedding tourism’ in Sri Lanka
■„SLTDA to launch separate destination wedding portal „■India, Pakistan and Maldives recognised as potential markets „■Tourism chief says sites near Sinharaja forest and Cultural Triangle can be promoted for wedding tourism
Plans are underway to promote Sri Lanka as a safe wedding destination, which would not only help uplift the hard-hit tourism industry but also the event management, fashion design and other supporting sectors that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to focusing on the high-potential MICE market, Sri Lanka Tourism will provide fresh impetus for ‘wedding tourism’ as well.
A separate portal will be launched by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to support the endeavour.
SLTDA Chairperson Kimarli Fernando said efforts would be taken to list event management companies, wedding planners, photographers, fashion designers and others under one platform, so that the experience of having a wedding in Sri Lanka can be convenient.
“Sri Lanka is everything that Asia has to offer,” Fernando said this week.
She was addressing a press conference that was held to announce Wedding Week 2022, which will be held on February 19 and 20.
Sri Lanka has immense potential in the wedding segment and sites such as those in the vicinity of the Sinharaja forest and Cultural Triangle can be promoted, Fernando said.
While Sri Lanka needs to firm up relationships with regional peers such as India, the Maldives and Pakistan to promote wedding tourism, she shared that Sri Lanka has already made a name for itself as a wedding destination in many markets, including Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Future Market Insights, a premium market intelligence provider, in its latest update shared that with the increasing access to affordable travel options and a large number of scenic locations, destination weddings have rapidly gained popularity.
A market analysis shows that the destination wedding market will generate revenue over US $ 290 billion by 2031.