Discussions on strengthening collaboration between Sri Lanka and Myanmar on Tourism Cooperation
As a part of the two day Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Programme, held in Yangon, Myanmar, on 5 and 6 December 2025, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Yangon successfully concluded two Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings with leading tourism organizations in Myanmar, including the Union of Myanmar Travel Association (UMTA) and Myanmar Travel Marketing (MTM).
A delegation of private-sector entrepreneurs from Sri Lanka, representing the tourism and travel industries, visited Myanmar at the invitation of the Embassy, together with the members of the Sri Lankan community in Myanmar, who are already involved in successful business ventures, participated to explore opportunities for enhancing bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector. The Sri Lanka delegation, headed by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Yangon, included Mr. Parinda Dissanayake, CEO, Travel Vibes PLC; Mr. Saliya Dharmawardane, Travel Vibes PLC, Finance Consultant/Certified Public Accountant; Mr. Gayan Jayawickrama, Director (Finance & Operations) Travel Vibes PLC, Mr. Dhammika Nishantha Karangoda, IT Consultant; Mr. Paul Jeganathan, Heyleys Advantis Kusuhara Sedate Myanmar (Pvt) Ltd; Mr. Rasika Batagoda, LOLC Myanmar Microfinance Company; Mr. Shalinda Rathnayake, Shanthi Travels Sri Lanka; and Mr. Prabhath Wickramasinghe, Managing Director (Colombo–Burma), Happy Hour Travels and Tours.
The first B2B session was held at the Head Office of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI). It was co-chaired by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Myanmar, Mrs. Prabashini Ponnamperuma and Mr. U Kyaw Bohne Naing, President of UMTA. The second B2B session was held with Myanmar Travel Marketing (MTM) at the Head Office of the Myanmar Tourism Federation. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Lal Kularathna, Minister of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Myanmar, and Mr. Thomus, President of MTM.
The two discussions, focused on applying practical strategies to enhance two-way tourism between Sri Lanka and Myanmar, including religious tourism, and establishing stronger cross-border collaborations between Sri Lankan and Myanmar travel companies. The key highlights of the discussions included, Promoting opportunities for Buddhist religious, pilgrimage, and home pay tourism; possibility for Re-establishing direct air connectivity between Myanmar and Sri Lanka to enhance tourism, trade, and cultural cooperation; Joint marketing and promotional strategies and customized tour packages for both markets; and Enhancing the use of IT-based and digital platforms to meet the evolving demands of modern tourism marketing.
Both parties acknowledged the importance of sustained engagement to expand market access, attract more travelers, and strengthen overall tourism cooperation between Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Yangon, Myanmar
07th December 2025
