1 June, Colombo. A year ago in 2023, 2 lakh 4 thousand 518 Nepalis traveled abroad according to government data.
According to the data of the Immigration Department, India is the country where the highest number of Nepalis have visited in ‘outbound tourism’. The second place is United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the third place is Thailand.
Sri Lanka is at the 16th position in this list. Last year, 1,483 Nepalis visited Sri Lanka and enjoyed the nearby tourist destinations.
Sri Lanka has also been excited by the increasing number of Nepalese tourists recently. If you are excited, Sri Lanka has now prepared attractively priced ‘tour packages’ for Nepali tourists. His government airline company Srilankan Airlines is directly connected to it.
‘We are looking at Nepal as a big tourism resource market,’ says Nilin Pathirana, Head of Nepal of SriLankan Airlines, ‘We can become a new and attractive destination for Nepali tourists.’
For the past few years, especially after the corona epidemic subsided, the number of Nepali tourists traveling abroad is increasing. It seems to increase further in 2024.
According to the data of Nepal Rastra Bank, the share of foreign currency consumption by Nepalis traveling abroad and the expenditure incurred by tourists visiting Nepal this year is almost the same.
Thus, with the increasing number of Nepalis traveling abroad, the tourism sector of neighboring Sri Lanka is ready to provide excellent services to Nepalese tourists at competitive prices in their country.
Sri Lanka’s head of Nepal, Pathirana, who is flying to Nepal five times a week, says, ‘Sri Lanka is ready to welcome Nepalese brothers and sisters to UAE, Thailand and Vietnam at a competitive price.’
He says that by studying the trend of Nepali outbound tourists, the message is being conveyed that Sri Lanka is ready to provide facilities as per Nepalese needs.
Now Sri Lankan is connecting Nepal and Colombo by direct flight. The company, which operates five weekly flights from Nepal to Colombo, has also started selling various packages targeting Nepalese tourists in partnership with local hotels and travel companies.
He informed that now a tour package of 4 nights and 5 days has been launched for around 90,000 rupees per person. He says that he can take additional packages according to the destination he wants to visit in Sri Lanka.
Along with this, Sri Lanka is a country with more than 70 percent Buddhist population. In second place, there is a majority of Hindus. Pathirana says that the Sri Lankan government is doing promotion itself to attract Sri Lankan citizens to Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, and Pashupatinath Darshan.
‘We are trying to connect citizens from each other’s countries,’ he adds, ‘this will benefit both countries.’
From the Ramayana circuit to the teeth of Gautama Buddha
According to Hindu belief, Sri Lanka is the land of Ravana. Nepal is the land of Mother Sita. The biggest market that Sri Lanka has seen in Nepal is religious tourists. Some of the lands and stories associated with the Ramayana are in Sri Lanka. These archaeological heritages are being protected by the Sri Lankan government and UNESCO by placing them in the World Heritage List.
A fort with a huge structure located in Matale district near the city of Dambulla in the ‘Central Province’ of Sri Lanka is considered by Hindus to be Ravana’s palace.
To attract Indian tourists to this heritage, Sri Lanka is promoting tourism according to the Ramayana circuit concept. Sri Lanka believes that this land can attract many tourists even from Nepal.
There are various temples and structures in this area from Sita Mata Temple, Ravana Waterfall. Which Sri Lanka has made as a means of tourist attraction. On the other hand, Sri Lanka itself is a great pilgrimage site for Buddhist pilgrims. Statues of Lord Gautama Buddha are placed in every street of this country.
For this country, the most important heritage associated with Gautama Buddha is ‘Tooth Relic Temple’. Where Gautama Buddha’s tooth is believed to be kept safe. Millions of tourists from all over the world reach this place to see this temple. This temple is in a city called Kendi.
Attractive beach
The sea is one of the ways to attract Nepalis to visit abroad. Because Nepal is a landlocked country. Nepali people cannot see the sea until they reach the southern states of India. However, there is no direct air connection to reach those places.
In this case, countries like Thailand or UAE are attracting Nepalis. Sri Lanka’s package targeting Nepali tourists includes the seaside. Its capital, Colombo itself, is located on the coast. Sri Lanka is a large island surrounded by sea on all sides. Tourists have been attracted by building five-star hotels in all areas of the sea coast.
Those hotels are also attracting tourists by making different packages. Galle City, which is near Colombo, is a city that many tourists visit for the purpose of marine activities. In this city, many structures and remains of the European rulers who ruled Sri Lanka have been kept alive. Today, Sri Lanka is using these remains and structures as a major means of attracting European tourists.
Whether swimming in the sea or enjoying water activities by sailing, motorboats and boats, Sri Lanka offers luxury facilities for tourists, says Pathirana.
Casino
Nepalis are not allowed to play in casinos in Nepal. That’s why Nepalese choose India or Gulf countries to play casino. In addition, Hong Kong and Macau are casino destinations for Nepalese. Another big potential that Sri Lankan tourism has seen in the Nepalese resource market is casino players.
The Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, has recently been established as a casino city. Where Indians come here in private ships and chartered ships. An official of the Belize Casino in Colombo said that some Nepalis also come to play in the casino in Colombo.
‘We have 20 Nepalese employees,’ he says, ‘besides that, there are also Nepalese customers who come here regularly to play at the casino.’
It is considered to be the largest and busiest casino in Sri Lanka. Apart from that, casinos like Casino Marina, Bellagio, Continental Club, Stardust, The Ritz Club, MGM are considered to be more busy in Colombo.
From mountain railways to tea plantations
Sri Lanka’s historical train journey from Kandy to Illa is another fascinating experience that Sri Lanka has to offer. This train, built during the time of the European rulers, still runs in its original form. This train that runs with the beg in the hilly area also gives the tourists a sense of adventure.
Nuwara Eliya is another city developed by the then ruler to escape the heat. This city has now been developed by Sri Lanka as a tea plantation. Sri Lanka is currently the fourth largest producer of tea in the world. Nuwara Eliya has a big hand in this.
Even now, when the temperature is hot on the seashore, Nuwara Eliya has become a destination for Sri Lankans to climb the mountains in search of coolness. When going to this place, Nepali people get a glimpse of Ilameli tea garden.
Emphasis on sustainable tourism with grand infrastructure
Sri Lanka has invested heavily in road infrastructure. That’s why you don’t have to suffer because of the road throughout the journey. Most of the cities are connected to the capital Colombo by expressways.
No need to get stuck in traffic due to less traffic. That is why this country has not invested much in air transport. There is no domestic air transport facility in Sri Lanka.
As a result, there is a huge investment in highways. However, along with infrastructure development, Sri Lanka has prioritized sustainable tourism while protecting forests, nature and land. Which easily attracts nature lovers. Known as the country of elephants, there is also a facility to observe the activities of domesticated and wild elephants.
Coconut dishes and Raithane food
Sri Lanka encourages tourists to try local flavors rather than foreign ones. Swadeshi Raithane dishes are a must in the hotel menu. Sri Lankan Raithane food is equally attractive to tourists. Coconut dishes are mixed in most of the food.
Tourists also get Sri Lankan flavored coconut chocolate as a gift. Since there is no big difference in the taste of Sri Lankan, Indian and Nepali dishes, tourists visiting here do not even have to worry about what to eat. Due to the fact that coconut is a product of this country, Sri Lanka has given high priority to its dishes. 
