Within The Sri Lanka Inbound Tour Operators Association, the Sri Lanka Travel Agents Association, and the Sri Lanka Tourism Authority will be selling special packages including airfare and five days' accommodation starting at $630. All hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and other stakeholders came together to create a FIFA zone for the accommodation and entertainment of fans.
Sri Lankan Airlines, Flydubai, Qatar Airways and Air India have joined the program to support Sri Lanka's tourism efforts to attract a significant portion of its more than 1.2 million football fans during the four to five day breaks between favorite team matches . As a reminder, the World Cup will be held from November 20 to December 18.
The national carrier of Sri Lanka has also extended a special fare for travelers with fan IDs.
Officials are confident that the action will attract about 5,000 football fans from all over the world. On Negombo Beach near Bandaranaike Airport there will be a giant TV screen broadcasting all matches live, food and drink stalls and a real pub with snacks and music.
Negombo — a popular destination in the west of Sri Lanka, promises an interesting introduction to Sri Lankan coastal life, a lively fish market, a touch of colonial charm and hundreds of colorful wooden boats.
Tourism — a strategically important industry for Sri Lanka and the third largest source of exports for the national economy.
In 2019, 1.9 million foreign visitors visited Sri Lanka, which brought about 3.6 billion US dollars to the local economy. In October 2022, Sri Lanka attracted 42,026 travelers, up 41 percent from the previous month, while arrivals in the first 10 months of 2022 were 568,258. Tourism revenue for the first five months was $893 million compared to $64 million a year earlier.