Sri Lanka’s first ever international MICE Expo kicks off in Colombo

Tourism Minister Harin Fernando (second from left), with other senior officials of the Sri Lanka Conventions Bureau, and Sri Lanka Association of Professional Conference, Exhibition & Event Organisers  at the inauguration of MICE Expo 2023 

B2B meetings at MICE 2023
 Pix by Nisal Baduge

Sri Lanka’s first ever MICE Expo kicked off in Colombo this week, bringing together local industry stakeholders and carefully selected buyers worldwide.

The ceremoniously inaugurated event yesterday saw 100 carefully selected buyers from the Indian, Middle Eastern, and European markets.

One of the key focuses of the three-day MICE Expo 2023 is to position the island nation as a year-round destination for business events.

Participating MICE buyers will join industry forums, networking sessions, and familiarisation tours and receive a 360-degree perspective of Sri Lanka’s distinctiveness that sets it apart from other destinations.

Commenting on the current economic status, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando noted that despite Sri Lanka having faced a 30-year war, and then repeated challenges since 2019, including the Covid-19 pandemic, Sri Lanka is a resilient nation and will bounce back.

“When it comes to MICE, Sri Lanka has all that it needs to host conferences,” said the Minister commenting on the island nation’s potential. 

Due to the right infrastructure in place, Sri Lanka has been successful in bagging a few events for the 2023 calendar.

Some of the key events include the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) convention which will be held in July this year, and the hosting of a reality show by Zee TV in Jaffna, both of which will generate immense publicity for destination Sri Lanka.

“Sri Lanka has what it takes to be your next MICE destination,” the Minister told the fully-packed audience.

Sri Lanka Conventions Bureau Chairman Thisum Wijetunga said the island nation is “undoubtedly” the best destination for their next MICE event. 

“We are one of the very few countries in the world that offers you everything from coastal train rides, breathtaking mountainous regions, wildlife, adventure sports, wellness retreats, and many other attractions in a few hours of each other,” he said.

“The next few days are going to be full of learning and sharing of ideas and exploring new opportunities,” added Wijetunga.