Southern Sri Lanka to be promoted as top MICE destination

Tourism Minister Harin Fernando inaugurating the event

Southern MICE Expo 2024, organized by the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau kicked off this week at the Cinnamon Bentota Beach hotel. The multi-day event was aimed at positioning southern Sri Lanka as a leading destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE).
With over 115 buyers and media representatives from over 15 countries in attendance, the event showcased Sri Lanka’s stunning natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and modern infrastructure as an ideal location for companies and organizations looking to host events, meetings, and conferences in a professional, yet exotic and vibrant setting.
In a world where the business events are rapidly changing, the Southern MICE Expo 2024 aspired to be more than just an event to serve as the gateway to unparalleled experiences, supporting local economies and leaving a lasting impact to all event stakeholders said Harin Fernando, Minister of Tourism, Lands, Sports and Youth affairs. 
The Southern Region, with its distinctive blend of vibrant culture and coastal beauty, provides an idyllic MICE destination – with immense potential to reach the world through people’s social media feeds said  Thisum Jayasuriya, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau.
Minister Fernando inaugurated the event, which commenced with a Business Forum and welcome reception hosted at the Taj Bentota Resort & Spa on May 27, followed by the opening ceremony, B2B sessions and dinner held at Cinnamon Bentota Beach on the 28th. The MICE Business Forum created an opportunity for business networking and the B2B business session was held with the participation of 100+ local vendors from Sri Lanka.
The familiarization tour hosted by the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau  provided buyers an opportunity to explore the southern part of the country allowing them to experience Sri Lanka’s MICE facilities first-hand, in order to familiarize themselves with the island for potential future investments.
Sri Lanka provides indoor and outdoor event facilities, hotel venues, resorts, state-of-the-art convention centres, and bespoke offerings, staffed by qualified personnel.