Airline and tourism promotion body aim to continue on growth trajectory for in-bound tourism to the island, which achieved 15.1 percent growth in 2025 over the previous year.

Emirates and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) have renewed their partnership in order to amplify efforts aimed at benefiting the country’s tourism industry. The world’s largest international airline, which flies to almost 140 destinations, continues to draw on its vast network spanning six continents to promote the destination’s offerings to global audiences and support the growth of tourist arrivals.

The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two parties and aims to build on the successes of previous years, since it was first established in 2022, with Emirates consistently contributing to tourism arrivals to the nation. Last year Sri Lanka recorded healthy international tourist arrivals, in excess of 2.3 million, reflecting an impressive overall annual growth rate of 15.1% higher than the previous year’s visitor count of just over 2 million.

At Arabian Travel Market 2026, the MoU was signed by Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean and Chamila Jayarathna, Deputy Managing Director – Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. The signing ceremony was also attended by H.E. Arusha Cooray - Ambassador of Sri Lanka in UAE, Alexi Gunasekera - Consul General of Sri Lanka and Madusha Perera, Deputy Director – Marketing – SLTPB, in addition to other representatives of the airline and tourism bodies.

The renewed MoU reinforces the successful partnership between Emirates and SLTPB, which together promote Sri Lanka as a destination to key markets within Emirates’ network. Top markets in Emirates’ vast network spanning six continents and contributing to the tourist arrivals by air include Russia, UK, Germany, Australia and the US, among others.

Both the airline and SLTPB continuously collaborate on joint initiatives including marketing efforts, customised excursions, incentives and familiarization trips to showcase the island nation and its offerings to key feeder markets. Through engagement with its network of trade partners and tour operators, Emirates, along with SLTPB, provide incentives, special packages and other marketing tools to provide a compelling proposition for customers to visit Sri Lanka.

Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean said:  "Sri Lanka is among the longest-standing destinations in our network, having served it for over 40 years now, and we are proud to continue to work hand in hand with its tourism authority to contribute to its success as a top tourist destination. We continue to dedicate substantial efforts to contribute to the success of the nation’s tourism industry.

“As a key strategic market for us, we proudly introduced our latest aircraft, the Airbus A350, last year and as testament to its importance, we introduced a second daily A350 to serve the Dubai - Colombo route as of August, further elevating the travel experience for customers with our latest-generation aircraft with Premium Economy cabins. This reinforces our commitment to delivering enhanced comfort, choice and connectivity for travellers to and from Sri Lanka.”

Buddhika Hewawasam, Chairman, SLTPB said: “The Middle East continues to be an important and strategically significant source market for Sri Lanka Tourism, with considerable potential for further growth. We are pleased to renew our partnership with Emirates, which represents an important step in strengthening our cooperation and enhancing Sri Lanka’s accessibility and visibility among travellers from the region. This renewed collaboration will support our efforts to position Sri Lanka as a preferred and competitive destination for Middle Eastern travellers.

“We look forward to working closely with Emirates to further promote Sri Lanka’s diverse tourism offerings and create greater opportunities to attract visitors from the region. Through stronger connectivity and collaborative destination promotion, we are confident that this partnership will contribute to the sustainable growth of tourism while encouraging more Middle Eastern travellers to discover the unique experiences, natural beauty, culture, and renowned hospitality that Sri Lanka has to offer.”

Emirates offers three non-stop daily flights on the Colombo-Dubai route with a range of timings in addition to one daily service via Male’, operated with a mix of Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 aircraft.

In addition to EK648/649 and EK654/655, both operated with an A350 aircraft featuring Premium Economy, Emirates also offers services on a B777 scheduled as EK650/651 and EK652/653.

Emirates began operations to Sri Lanka in April 1986 and has consistently supported the country’s tourism and export industries through passenger and cargo services.

Photo caption: The renewal of the partnership between Emirates and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.