Sri Lanka has set its sights on attracting 500,000 Australian visitors a year, following a tourism trade roadshow in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth this month.
According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, more than 500 travel agents, tourism professionals, media and other industry representatives attended the three events. They met Sri Lankan hotels, tour operators and destination management companies as the country stepped up its promotion to the Australian market.
The target is ambitious. Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority figures show 76,038 visitors from Australia arrived between January and August 2026. The tourism bureau has described 500,000 annual visitors as a goal for the coming years, rather than announcing a deadline.
Building a stronger presence in Australia
The roadshow was designed to connect Australian travel sellers directly with Sri Lankan tourism businesses. For Sri Lanka, those relationships could help turn interest in the destination into more holiday packages, itineraries and bookings.
“This wasn’t simply about telling people to visit Sri Lanka,” said Buddhika Hewawasam, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. “It was about building relationships that ultimately put Sri Lanka into travel agency windows, holiday packages, itineraries, social media feeds and conversations between travel advisors and their customers.”
The destination is promoting the variety of experiences travellers can combine in one trip, from beaches and wildlife to ancient cities, food, tea country and wellness. That breadth could appeal to Australian families looking for more than one type of holiday in a single itinerary.
More flights between Australia and Sri Lanka
Air access forms another part of the push. SriLankan Airlines announced an increase in its Colombo – Melbourne service from seven to 10 flights a week from August 2026, bringing its stated Australia schedule to 14 weekly flights.
The roadshow has given Sri Lanka a chance to put its tourism businesses in front of Australian travel sellers. The next measure of its success will be whether those new connections, alongside additional flight capacity, translate into sustained visitor growth.
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