Sri Lanka will host its biggest travel trade event since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic when it organises Sri Lanka MICE Expo in Colombo in March. The organisers have invited buyers from around the world to participate in key event.

In order to boost the recovery of tourism, especially MICE tourism, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau and SriLankan Airlines under the patronage of the Ministry of Tourism, has organised Sri Lanka MICE Expo 2023, that will be held from March 13-15 in the capital Colombo.

The MICE Expo 2023 will be the largest travel trade event to be organised in the Emerald Island in over three years as tourism indystry tries to recover from the double shock of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the civic unrest that had gripped Sri Lanka for several months in 2022.

In a press statement, the organisers say that the Expo will consist of a B2B event, an exhibition, various networking sessions, industry forums as well as FAM trips, before or after the event. The organisers say that the objective of the Expo is to showcase Sri Lanka as a world-class MICE destination that offers a well-rounded experience to MICE travellers that can not be offered by any other destination.

The MICE Expo will also have a fully hosted buyer programme, along with a campaign to promote other international and local buyers or visitors from primary MICE markets around the world.

The organisers say that the primary focus of the MICE Expo will be India, the largest and closest source market for Sri Lanka and about half of the 100 fully-hosted buyers would be from India, while others would be from other South Asian nations as well as Middle East and South East Asia.

The organisers say that they will carefully select buyers who will then hold various B2B meetings with Sri Lankan MICE suppliers like venues and hotels. An exhibition will also be held during the MICE Expo, that will also feature a gala networking dinner.

The organisers have also planned Colombo City MICE Experience tours as well as those outside the capital on Day 3 of the show.

The press statement adds that SLCB has invited applications from buyers for its Hosted Buyer Programme from MICE & Events Organisers and also from large corporates who organise their own MICE related activities. Besides 100 fully hosted byers, the organisers say they will also partially host 100 other buyers.

Interested MICE operators can apply here.