business & investment

Sri Lanka Tourism continued its efforts to strengthen its presence in the Middle Eastern market with a vibrant national pavilion at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, held recently at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The 33rd edition of the annual event brought together tourism authorities, travel professionals, industry stakeholders and media representatives from around the world, with participants and exhibitors representing 166 countries. Featuring more than 2,800 exhibiting companies and over 55,000 industry participants, the event provided Sri Lanka with a valuable platform to promote the island as a diverse and attractive travel destination.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) led the country’s participation, with the national pavilion bringing together approximately 60 Sri Lankan travel and tour agents alongside other tourism industry representatives.

Their participation provided opportunities to connect with international buyers, strengthen existing industry relationships and explore new business opportunities across the Middle Eastern and wider international travel markets.

Hambantota International Port (HIP) has surpassed one million TEUs in cumulative container throughput since the commissioning of new quay cranes in 2025, marking a significant milestone in the rapid expansion of its container operations.

The port handled 428,036 TEUs in 2025, while throughput reached 574,196 TEUs in 2026 year-to-date, bringing the combined volume to 1,002,232 TEUs. The achievement highlights the continued growth of HIP’s container business and increasing customer confidence in its operational capabilities.

HIPG CEO Wilson Qu said the milestone reflected the progress made in developing Hambantota into a competitive container port serving regional and international trade.

“Crossing one million TEUs is an important achievement for HIP and a strong indication of the confidence our customers are placing in the port. Our container growth has been built through close engagement with shipping lines, operational reliability and the ability to respond quickly to changing customer requirements. We are now investing across the full container-handling chain, from equipment and berths to yard space, reefer capacity and larger-vessel facilities, to ensure that the port is ready for its next phase of growth,” he said.

MSC, HIP’s principal customer in the container sector, has played a significant role in expanding the port’s container operations. The partnership has delivered several operational milestones in 2026.

In April, HIP established a new single-vessel handling record when the MSC Marie Leslie recorded 7,968 container moves, equivalent to 13,260 TEUs, during its call at the port. This surpassed the records set by the MSC Ilenia and MSC Ruby in March.

HIP subsequently recorded its highest-ever monthly container throughput in June, handling 80,325 TEUs. The achievement reflected the port’s operational preparedness, available capacity and targeted engagement with shipping lines amid uncertainty affecting major trade routes.

To sustain this growth, HIP is undertaking a significant expansion of its container-handling facilities. The programme includes investments in new equipment, greater berth utilisation, container-yard development, increased reefer capacity and infrastructure to accommodate larger container vessels.

A key component of the expansion is the acquisition of six new quay cranes and 16 rubber-tyred gantry cranes. These form part of the port’s broader USD 108 million investment in container-handling machinery and supporting assets. The equipment is expected to be commissioned by the end of February 2027.