News & market updates

Allianz Insurance Lanka ran Avurudu Negam 2026, offering ticket refunds to eligible passengers on the Galu Kumari service (Maradana/Fort to beyond Galle up to Belliatta), extended the refund window to April 30, provided free personal accident cover, distributed oil cakes and held an LKR 1M raffle.

John Keells Hotels' City of Dreams Sri Lanka will host the West End–licensed musical La Bamba at The Forum from 24–27 April; Nations Trust Bank cardholders receive a 15% early-bird ticket discount.

The Deputy High Commission of Sri Lanka in Chennai will host the inaugural Sri Lanka Food Festival from 24–26 April 2026 at Green Meadows Resort, Chennai to promote tourism, trade and cultural ties, organised with partners including the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and Cinnamon Grand.

France Ambassador Rémi Lambert reaffirmed France as a reliable partner for Sri Lanka's economic recovery and said France will extend support across multiple sectors, starting with the maritime sector. The Sri Lanka–France Business Council's Members' Day also highlighted tourism promotion to the French market, including a visit by French rugby legend Serge Betsen.

City of Dreams Sri Lanka hosted Sinhala and Tamil New Year (Avurudu) celebrations in Colombo featuring traditional décor, Avurudu buffets, cultural performances and interactive experiences.

More than 90 students from Don Bosco Institute's civil engineering, nursing and hotel & tourism management faculties graduated on April 10, with most reportedly securing jobs before the convocation. The institute is accredited up to NVQ Level 6 and serves about 250 students across six faculties.

Sri Lanka's services PMI rose to 59.4 in March 2026 from 54.4 in February, driven primarily by financial services and growth in insurance and pension funding. Employment and activity also increased, with wholesale/retail and accommodation and food & beverage sectors expanding ahead of the festive season.

IMF/WEO: a Middle East war-driven energy shock is raising inflation and weakening external balances in Asia; the region is projected to grow 4.4% in 2026 and 4.2% in 2027 (from 5% in 2025) under the reference forecast. Higher energy costs hit refiners, utilities, manufacturers and tourism, tightening policy space; adverse/severe scenarios could cut cumulative growth by 1–2 percentage points and lift inflation further.

Colombo Stock Exchange was up midday as the ASPI rose 0.65% to 22,735.61 and the S&P SL20 rose 0.51% to 6,262.75, with turnover at Rs 2bn. Top movers included Central Finance, Hayleys, Hemas and Browns Investments (up) while NDB, Melstacorp and HNB lagged; Commercial Bank listed scrip-dividend shares and Browns Beach Hotels will resume trading Apr 17–27.

Sirin Park Luxury Eco Lodge in Ginemellagaha is offering scientifically backed animal-therapy experiences to guests and has invested around Rs.250 million to develop the property. The lodge has two suites (c.6 guests), farm-sourced meals, basic amenities, solar for staff areas and offers coconut and village tours.

The Sri Lanka–France Business Council hosted its Members' Day at the French Ambassador’s residence where Ambassador Rémi Lambert reaffirmed France's support for Sri Lanka's economic recovery and signalled support across sectors, highlighting maritime and tourism collaboration.

The G-24 warned that rising global risks — including geopolitical tensions, higher energy prices, elevated inflation and tighter financing — threaten fragile recoveries in economies like Sri Lanka. The group urged more concessional finance, faster debt restructuring and stronger multilateral support.

IEA, IMF and World Bank issued a joint statement saying the war in the Middle East has driven up oil, gas and fertilizer prices, disproportionately hurting energy importers and threatening food security, jobs and tourism. They said they will coordinate assessments and provide policy advice and financial support.

Radisson Hotels Sri Lanka has deployed a purpose-built electric van fleet from Evolution Auto (King Long and KYC models) across properties in Colombo, Galle and Kandy for staff transport, property mobility and internal logistics to support sustainability and operational efficiency.

LankaPay, the SLTDA and Alipay+ signed an MoU to promote Sri Lanka tourism and enable cross-border LankaQR payments via Alipay+'s network reaching over 1.8 billion user accounts. The initiative offers targeted promotions to APAC travellers, aims to boost tourist spending and help SMEs adopt digital payments.

ADB projects Sri Lanka's growth will slow to 4.0% in 2026 from 5% last year, and warned a prolonged Middle East conflict could cut 0.5–0.8 percentage points from 2026 growth. It said lower tourism revenues, higher energy and fertilizer import costs and possible remittance weakness could also add 3–5 percentage points to projected 5.2% inflation.

ADB forecasts Sri Lanka's GDP to moderate to 4.0% in 2026 and 4.2% in 2027, with inflation set to rise to 5.2% largely due to the Middle East conflict. The economy remained resilient in 2025 with strong private consumption, record remittances, a primary surplus and higher reserves, but higher energy costs and weaker tourism/trade pose risks.

Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka fell 22% YoY to 39,627 in the first eight days of April as the Middle East conflict disrupted air travel; cumulative arrivals remain marginally up 1% YTD at 780,261 by 8 April.

CeylonEat.com launched a digital platform integrating online reservations, instant payments and digital dining vouchers for premium hotels and restaurants in Sri Lanka, offering vendor dashboards and targeted promotions to reduce no-shows and boost revenue.

Pan Asia Bank launched an Avurudu credit-card campaign offering over 250 exclusive deals with discounts up to 70% across restaurants, hotels, jewellery, fashion, automobile dealers and online platforms to provide seasonal benefits to cardholders.

The IMF and Sri Lankan authorities reached a staff-level agreement on the combined 5th and 6th reviews of the EFF that, if approved by the Executive Board, would unlock about US$700m, conditional on restoring cost‑recovery fuel and electricity pricing, financing assurances and debt restructuring. The IMF also urged rebuilding reserves with exchange‑rate flexibility, fiscal and revenue reforms, stronger social safety nets, and progress on NPLs and governance reforms.

IMF staff and Sri Lankan authorities reached staff-level agreement on the combined Fifth and Sixth Reviews of the EFF, which, if approved by the IMF Executive Board, would unlock about US$700 million in financing. Approval is contingent on restoring cost‑recovery fuel and electricity pricing and completing financing assurances and debt restructuring.

Sri Lanka's recovery from Cyclone Ditwah has slowed, with more than 149,000 people still displaced and $23.4m pledged of the $35.3m required for the humanitarian plan. OCHA warns rising fuel and energy costs, supply-chain disruptions, heat-reduced hydro output and funding gaps risk food security, livelihoods, tourism and resettlement.

Cinnamon Bentota Beach (John Keells Hotels) held a 'Jaffna Night' on 31 March, launching a 'Jaffna Culinary Journey' video series and a Jaffna Food Festival to showcase Northern Sri Lanka's cuisine and culture. The event aimed to bring authentic Jaffna flavours and experiences to resort guests.

LAUGFS Gas PLC has resumed filling at Hambantota and Mabima plants and is releasing about 30,000 LPG cylinders daily to restore market availability. The company says it will ensure uninterrupted supply over the festive season for households, hotels, restaurants and industrial users.

SriLankan Airlines warns of an escalation in impersonation scams via phone and WhatsApp, telling customers not to share OTPs, PINs, credit card details or install apps and to verify communications through its official website or verified social channels.

Cabinet approved relocating the High Court and Magistrate’s Court from Galle Fort to a new judicial complex in Beligaha, handing vacated heritage buildings to the Urban Development Authority for PPP-led tourism redevelopment under the Galle Purnajeewana Project. The move aims to ease congestion, improve accessibility and revitalise underutilised spaces to boost heritage tourism.

DIMO's Power & Energy arm launched 'EVO by DIMO', introducing Siemens commercial EV chargers (11–360 kW), Sri Lanka's first dual-gun AC 22 kW IP65 chargers, a network app with tokenised payments, and plans for mobile 30 kW DC roadside charging and nationwide deployment.

The Cabinet approved awarding Honeywell International a five-year contract to repair SriLankan Airlines' auxiliary power units for an estimated $25.17 million; Honeywell was the lowest of six bids.

Sentido Heritance Negombo (Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings) marks its 10th anniversary with the 'Decade One' campaign. Opened in April 2016, the beachfront hotel highlights LEED and five-star credentials, Travelife Gold, a 5% reduction in CO2 per room night in 2025, community programmes and a new restaurant.