With Indian outbound travel booming and Sri Lanka steadily reclaiming its place on the regional tourism map, hospitality major Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is betting big on the Indian traveller.
From launching South Asia’s only integrated resort, Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams in Colombo, to pitching Sri Lanka as more than just a beach destination, the group is repositioning the island nation for leisure, business and experiential travel.
In a conversation with THE WEEK, Hishan Singhawansa, CEO of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, speaks about why India is central to Sri Lanka’s tourism revival, the rise of MICE and destination weddings, and the opportunities and challenges facing the country’s hospitality sector in the years ahead.
Q. How critical is the Indian traveller to Cinnamon’s current growth and overall strategy?
A. The Indian traveller is the single most important market for Cinnamon and for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector at large. Last year, Sri Lanka received around 500,000 Indian tourists—the highest from any country—marking a 25–30 per cent year-on-year growth. We expect a similar growth trajectory this year. That is why India is a core focus for us; I was in three Indian cities just last week engaging with partners and travellers.
At Cinnamon, we operate 17 hotels across Sri Lanka and the Maldives—13 in Sri Lanka and four in the Maldives. Most recently, we launched Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, Colombo, South Asia’s only integrated resort, a $1.2-billion development.
Q. Tell us more about Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams.
A. Cinnamon Life is located in Colombo and is a landmark project for us and for Sri Lanka. It features two hotels—Cinnamon Life with 687 keys and Nuwa with 113 keys—along with a luxury mall and the largest gaming and entertainment facility in South Asia. It’s a truly integrated resort designed to position Colombo as a global leisure and business destination.
Q. Beyond beaches, what kind of experiences does Sri Lanka—and Cinnamon—offer today?
A. Sri Lanka is far more than a beach destination. We have nine resorts across the island, apart from our four Colombo hotels. Guests can experience coastal destinations like Bentota, Beruwala and Hikkaduwa, the hill country of Kandy, cultural heritage sites such as Sigiriya and Habarana, and wildlife experiences in Yala National Park, which has the world’s highest density of leopards.
The country offers beaches, jungles, history, wildlife and wellness—all within short travel distances. You can reach most destinations within two to three hours, unlike many larger countries.
Q. Indian travellers often choose Thailand or Vietnam. How does Sri Lanka compare?
A. Thailand and Vietnam receive far larger tourist volumes—Thailand alone sees about 40 million tourists annually, while Sri Lanka receives around two million. But that’s also Sri Lanka’s strength. There are still many undiscovered and uncrowded destinations, offering a more intimate and authentic experience.
Sri Lanka is culturally closer to India—whether it’s food, people or traditions—but it still offers a distinctly different experience. Many Indians assume Sri Lanka feels like “another India,” but once they visit, they realise how unique it truly is.
Q. Is wellness and wildlife tourism gaining traction among Indian travellers?
A. Absolutely. Wellness and nature-based tourism are emerging strongly. At Cinnamon, we offer guided nature trails, in-house naturalists, and highly personalised wildlife experiences rooted in science and conservation. Biodiversity is a core pillar of our brand, and we actively work to protect and enrich the ecosystems where we operate.
Q. Are you seeing increased interest from Indian corporates, MICE travellers and destination weddings?
A. Very much so. Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams features world-class conference facilities capable of hosting up to 5,000 delegates across multiple venues. In November, we hosted a conference with 3,000 delegates, and another large-scale event is scheduled for May.
Destination weddings are also a growing segment—we’ve hosted about 10 destination weddings in recent months, both in Colombo and in beach destinations like Bentota. Corporate India is discovering Colombo as a cleaner, greener, less congested alternative to cities like Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.
Q. What makes Colombo attractive as a conference destination?
A. Colombo is compact, efficient and well-connected. From the airport to the city is about 45 minutes via expressway, sometimes even less. Compared to larger Southeast Asian cities, it’s quieter, greener and easier to navigate. Every Indian corporate group that has visited Cinnamon Life has been genuinely impressed.
Q. Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, what is the biggest opportunity and the biggest challenge for Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector?
A. The biggest opportunity is undoubtedly India. Indian outbound travel is already around 20 million travellers annually and is expected to double or triple over the next five years. Sri Lanka’s proximity positions it perfectly to benefit from this growth—much like Thailand and Vietnam benefited from Chinese outbound travel in the 2010s.
The biggest challenge is air connectivity. To grow Indian arrivals from 500,000 to one million, we need significantly more direct flights, especially from Tier-2 cities and northern India. While Sri Lankan Airlines operates around 90 flights a week and carriers like IndiGo are expanding, connectivity must scale further.
Another challenge will be manpower. As tourist numbers grow from 2.5 million to potentially 4–5 million, the industry must build capacity to service that demand. At Cinnamon, we are already investing in training and talent development to address this.
Q. How easy is it for Indian travellers to get around Sri Lanka today?
A. It’s becoming increasingly seamless. UPI payments are now widely accepted, and Indian travellers can obtain a temporary Sri Lankan driving licence over the counter at the airport. These small conveniences make a big difference and enhance the overall travel experience.