Sri Lanka is targeting more Chinese airlines to arrive in the island nation as the government looks to further expand its tourism industry next year, Senior Advisor to the Tourism Minister, Felix Srimal Rodrigo said.
"Sri Lanka is an island which means tourists can only reach here by air transport. Establishing strong air links will boost our tourism industry," Rodrigo told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.
Presently the government is negotiating with the Chinese government to expand air links between the two countries, said Rodrigo.
Sri Lanka's national airline carrier, Sri Lankan Airlines is operating three weekly flights between the two countries.
"However we should have more Chinese airlines coming here. China is a big place. We want at least four to five more Chinese airlines," Rodrigo noted.
Tourism had become the number one foreign exchange earner in Sri Lanka as the Chinese currency, Renminbi, had become the most used foreign currency, said Rodrigo.
"The export of Sri Lanka's traditional products such as Ceylon Tea and Coconut is going down. Now we rely on tourism," Rodrigo said.