Sri Lanka Tourism has set its sights on the growing Indian wedding market, recently hosting multi-city luxury wedding shows in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi to position the island as a premier wedding destination for Indian couples.
The shows featured 14 Sri Lankan exhibitors, including leading hotels and wedding planners, who engaged directly with Indian travel agents, wedding planners, and other stakeholders.
Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam noted that destinations such as Bentota, Hambantota, and Weligama—home to international hotel brands like Hilton and Shangri-La—are already popular for Indian weddings. However, emerging destinations like Trincomalee, Pasikudah, and Arugam Bay are now being promoted as well.
On average, Indian wedding groups stay in Sri Lanka for seven to ten days, covering pre- and post-wedding ceremonies. In just the past eight months, the country has hosted 30 large weddings and 50 small to mid-sized weddings from India, according to SLTPB.
Hewawasam said Sri Lanka has the capacity to double the number of Indian weddings it currently hosts, adding that the bureau aims to make these wedding shows a regular feature across India, with expansion into southern cities planned in the coming months.
Beyond B2B initiatives, Sri Lanka Tourism will also focus on consumer outreach through familiarisation trips for social media influencers, digital wedding campaigns, and participation in wedding-focused events across India to showcase the country’s diverse offerings.
