Buddhika Hewawasam, chair of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, said the campaign concept is still being finalised but will focus on presenting less well known areas on the island.

Total visitor numbers during the first nine months of the year ran to almost 1.7 million, which includes 160,000 from the UK making the UK Sri Lanka's second-largest source market this year to date.

Hewawasam said the island had seen particularly strong visitation from younger travellers. “Visitors aged under 30 has been one of the largest growth segments for us, attracted by our adventure and surfing opportunities,” he said.

Sri Lanka is benefitting from a period of extensive product development, with 5,000 hotel rooms added last year, alongside around 1,000 new homestays coming to market. The UK trade had also responded positively to a move last month to waive the visa fee for British visitors to the island, he added.

The government consulted stakeholders in September to help it develop a new strategic tourism plan for the period from 2026 through to 2030, which will focus on developing and promoting sustainable and regenerative experiences such as eco-lodges, homestays and community-run projects.