A high-level fireside panel featuring Jeff Hoffman, Jeevan Gnanam, Yuen Wong, and the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Sri Lanka, moderated by Cherrie Chan, explored how travel innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital / AI infrastructure can help Sri Lanka compete more effectively on the global stage.
Held under the theme “The Sri Lanka Destination Stack – How can travel innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital / AI infrastructure help Sri Lanka win globally?”, the conversation focused on how Sri Lanka can move beyond traditional destination marketing and build a stronger, more future-ready tourism ecosystem.
The panel examined Sri Lanka’s opportunity not only to attract more visitors, but to attract the right mix of travellers, talent, investors, and strategic partners. Speakers discussed how Sri Lanka can differentiate itself through trusted local curation, better digital infrastructure, stronger storytelling, and more intelligent distribution, rather than relying solely on price or mass-market tourism.
A central theme of the discussion was that Sri Lanka’s next phase of tourism growth should be about quality as much as quantity. Panelists highlighted the importance of attracting “smart money” — long-term capital and partnerships that create value locally — as well as global talent, including founders, creators, digital professionals, and entrepreneurs who can contribute to the country’s wider ecosystem.
The discussion also highlighted the need for better curated global content about Sri Lanka. While the country is widely recognized for its natural beauty, culture, hospitality, wildlife, tea, and sport, speakers noted that the world still has not seen enough high-quality content that reflects the full depth of the Sri Lankan experience. Better storytelling, trusted curation, and stronger international visibility were identified as critical to strengthening Sri Lanka’s positioning with both travellers and investors.
The panel further explored how Sri Lanka can capitalize on the intersection of tourism, technology, and entrepreneurship. Topics included the role of AI in improving travel intent and match-making, the opportunity to create longer-stay experiences, and the importance of public-private collaboration in making Sri Lanka a more investable and execution-ready market.
With Sri Lanka’s tourism sector having returned to and surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2025, recording approximately 2.36 million international visitors, the conversation reflected growing confidence that the country has the foundations to compete globally in a more strategic way. The focus, panelists agreed, should now be on building an ecosystem that combines trust, curation, talent, innovation, and partnership.
Cherrie Chan, who moderated the conversation, framed the opportunity clearly: Sri Lanka is not just a destination, but a stack — one that includes inventory, distribution, trust, talent, and now AI. The challenge and opportunity ahead is how quickly that stack can be organized, articulated, and scaled.
The event brought together leaders from government, entrepreneurship, and global travel innovation to examine how Sri Lanka can strengthen its international tourism proposition while building a model that is more resilient, higher-value, and globally relevant.
ENDS
Photo Caption- Left to rifght- Jeff Hoffman (Chairman- Staynex; Co-Founder of Priceline/ Booking.com), Buddika Hewawasam- (Chairman -Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Yasas Hewage- (Founder Spinner Cycling / Sports Tourism Specialist), Yuen Wong (Founder & Group CEO- Staynex), Cherrie Chan (Chief Operating Officer-Staynex)
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