Credit: Ievgenii Karanov
On Thursday 23 October 2025, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Brussels, which is also accredited to Luxembourg and the European Union, together with the National Tourism Board of Sri Lanka, held a tourism promotion event at An Haffen in Wickrange.
The event, which brought together around 60 participants, took the form of a workshop and presentation promoting tourism opportunities in Sri Lanka for the Luxembourg travel market.
In an interview with Chronicle.lu, Chandana Weerasena, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union, explained that the event aimed to strengthen business ties and showcase Sri Lanka’s tourism potential to the Luxembourg market. “This is a different kind of event, a business-to-business programme with Luxembourg travel agents,” he said. “We are receiving good tourists from Luxembourg, and many Europeans are now travelling to Sri Lanka. What is most important is that many of them return. They are repeat visitors who have really enjoyed the Sri Lankan experience. That is why we wanted to bring more messages about our country to the people of Luxembourg.”
Ambassador Weerasena described Sri Lanka as “a tropical country you can visit at any time of the year,” highlighting its rich variety of attractions. “Sri Lanka offers almost everything except snow,” he added. “We have wildlife, nature, beautiful beaches, tea plantations, cultural heritage, festivals, food and adventure tourism. Because of this compactness and diversity, Sri Lanka appeals to visitors of all ages. It is a very beautiful and safe country, with warm people, good hospitality, eco-friendly hotels and plenty to experience.”
Thavishya Mullegamgoda, Minister (Commercial) at the Embassy of Sri Lanka to Luxembourg, told Chronicle.lu that tourism to Sri Lanka continues to grow strongly, with record arrivals expected in 2025. “Tourism in Sri Lanka is booming,” she said. “Last year we welcomed around two million visitors, and this year we are expecting about three million - we are almost there. The Benelux market, including Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, is also growing steadily. For example, from Belgium alone we recorded more than 17,200 travellers last year, and this year that number had already risen to around 17,600.” She added that while visitor numbers from Luxembourg remain relatively small, “we consider them high spenders, which is why we are particularly focused on this market.”
Also taking part in the event were Sharadha Senevirathne, Manager Germany at SriLankan Airlines, and Monique De Decker, Honorary Consul for Sri Lanka in Antwerp, Belgium.
Following the workshop session, Jeroen Libbrecht, Strategic Director at Thx.agency, co-organiser of the event, opened the presentation segment.
Arunoda Wikramasinghe, Junior Manager from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, then presented the country’s main tourism highlights. She emphasised Sri Lanka’s “unmatched diversity of experiences”, from golden beaches and tea plantations to ancient cultural heritage sites and abundant wildlife. The country, she noted, is “one of the few places in the world where visitors can see the largest land and sea mammals, elephants and blue whales, in a single day”.
She also underlined Sri Lanka’s focus on sustainability and community-based tourism under its Tourism Vision 2030, aimed at protecting the environment, empowering local communities and promoting responsible travel.
Throughout the evening, short video clips showcased both Sri Lanka’s best-known landmarks and its lesser-known natural and cultural attractions.
The evening concluded with dinner and informal networking among participants.
