Sri Lanka must urgently shift from prioritising tourist arrival numbers to building a high-value, experience-driven tourism economy supported by stronger branding, infrastructure, and storytelling, global tourism experts said during a panel discussion at Sancharaka Udawa 2026.
The session, titled “Sri Lanka Tourism: What’s Next… What’s Missing?”, brought together MakeMyTrip Chief Commercial Officer – Holidays and Experiences Jasmeet Singh, Droga & Co./Well Traveller Founder Katherine Droga, Minor Hotels CEO Dillip Rajakarier, and branding strategist Shouvik Roy.
A key theme of the discussion was the need for Sri Lanka to move away from a mass tourism model and instead focus on attracting high-value travellers.
Droga explained that high-value tourists are not necessarily luxury travellers, but those who stay longer, spend more, and engage more deeply with local communities and experiences.
She highlighted Australia as an example, noting that tourism spending there has risen 23% above pre-COVID levels even though visitor numbers have remained relatively stable.
Rajakarier said modern investors now prioritise destinations that offer policy stability, good governance, strong infrastructure, safety, environmental sustainability, and skilled human resources.
He stressed that sustainable growth, efficient infrastructure, and a business-friendly environment are essential for attracting investment, creating jobs, and supporting long-term economic development.
He further warned that without aligning sustainability and investment, Sri Lanka risks discouraging potential investors, who ultimately focus on “return on equity, not return on ego.”
Rajakarier also said Sri Lanka continues to overemphasise tourist arrival figures instead of focusing on premium experiences and overall economic value creation.
Comparing Sri Lanka with Thailand, he noted that successful destinations are increasingly promoting curated experiences such as wellness tourism, culinary travel, cruises, and experiential tourism.
He also raised concerns about a growing shortage of skilled hospitality professionals, warning that the migration of trained workers could impact service quality and industry growth.
Brand strategist Roy said Sri Lanka’s main challenge is not its diversity, but the lack of a clear and consistent tourism narrative.
He described the country as a “concentrated world” offering beaches, wildlife, mountains, tea estates, culture, and heritage within a compact geography, yet still lacking strong global positioning.
Roy added that effective destination branding must go beyond slogans and be reinforced through films, documentaries, food culture, and digital storytelling to build a strong global identity.
