City of Dreams Sri Lanka has marked its first year of operations, with its leadership confident that the landmark integrated resort can play a key role in positioning Colombo and Sri Lanka as a premier destination for luxury tourism, entertainment, and international business.
The first anniversary was celebrated with a special event attended by customers, business partners, vendors, and other stakeholders who contributed to the development of the project and supported its operations during its inaugural year.
Kamal Munasinghe, Senior Vice President, Colombo Hotels, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, and General Manager of Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Sri Lanka, said the milestone represented more than simply completing the resort’s first 12 months.
“It’s more than an anniversary. It’s time to say thank you because the last 12 months for us have been a really tough journey,” Munasinghe said.
He noted that a development on the scale and scope of City of Dreams Sri Lanka would have been difficult to envisage in the country several years ago.
“A project like this doesn’t come regularly, and for a country like ours to have an integrated resort like this, I think no one has even thought of it,” he said.
Munasinghe highlighted the challenges associated with delivering a large-scale development of this nature, noting that such projects require significant upfront investment and long-term commitment to achieve their intended objectives.
Against this backdrop, he said the support received from Sri Lankan customers and stakeholders throughout the resort’s first year had been particularly valuable.
He expressed his appreciation to those who had visited its restaurants, attended or hosted events, stayed at the property, and recommended City of Dreams Sri Lanka to their friends, families, and business partners.
“Everyone who has been to our restaurants, everyone who has been into our events, who has held an event with us, who has stayed with us, who’s been supporting us, recommending us to all your partners, all your friends and family—a big thank you to all of you from City of Dreams Sri Lanka and my entire team,” Munasinghe said.
Tourism Industry Supports Interim Campaign, Urges Market Diversification and Stronger Performance Monitoring
Sri Lanka’s private tourism sector has welcomed the launch of the country’s new interim tourism promotion campaign, while urging authorities to quickly expand its reach to additional source markets, strengthen partnerships with tour operators and airlines, and closely monitor the campaign’s effectiveness.
Speaking at the launch, Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) President Nalin Jayasundera described the initiative as “the need of the hour,” noting that the tourism industry had been waiting for a coordinated international marketing campaign for an extended period.
“Of course, there was a slight delay, but finally it’s happening and we are in the right direction,” he said.
Jayasundera called on the Government to expand the campaign beyond its initial six target markets to at least 10 key source markets without waiting until next year. He emphasised the importance of maintaining promotional momentum across countries that generate significant tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka.
He also highlighted the importance of closer collaboration with international tour operators, particularly major European operators that market multiple destinations. According to him, Sri Lanka needs to offer stronger incentives and establish effective partnerships to ensure the country receives greater prominence in international travel programmes.
“Sri Lanka is not the only destination. We need to find a mechanism to work together with tour operators and carry out joint marketing,” Jayasundera said.
City of Dreams Sri Lanka Eyes Global Tourism Growth After First Year
