News & market updates

Emirates will add a second daily A350 service between Dubai and Colombo from 8 August, doubling A350/Premium Economy capacity on flight EK648/649 and replacing the Boeing 777. The increased frequency and capacity boost connectivity and seat availability, supporting tourism and trade to Sri Lanka.

Exhibitor registration for Sri Lanka Expo 2027 is open until 31 July 2026. The expo runs 14–17 Jan 2027 at BMICH with 650 booths across 25 sectors and offers opportunities to meet over 1,500 global buyers.

LCB Finance reported a 55% rise in PBT to Rs. 439 million for the year ended 31 March 2026, with total assets at Rs. 12.87 billion. Operating income rose 36.9% to Rs. 1.34 billion, lending grew 32% to Rs. 10.30 billion, gold loans surged 136% and deposits rose 35% to Rs. 6.29 billion.

A Ministerial Consultative Committee chaired by Minister Vijitha Herath reviewed progress of national tourism promotion projects and examined proposed 2027 budget allocations to develop the sector. A special committee was appointed to review foreign trade agreements and MPs proposed new tourism initiatives.

Rights issue · 42:108 at Rs 28.00

Rights issue (42:108) at LKR 28/share

Colombo Stock Exchange midday: ASPI down 0.17% (37.22 pts) to 22,043.43 and S&P SL20 down 0.15% to 6,157.85. Capital goods led turnover (LKR 46.2m of LKR 216.8m); notable gainers HNB, RCL, SPEN, SDB, NHL and decliners GREG, MELS, JKH, CARS, LOLC.

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board has kept online exhibitor registration for Sri Lanka Expo 2027 open until 31 July 2026. The expo will run 14–17 January 2027 at BMICH with 650 booths and opportunities to meet over 1,500 global buyers across 25 sectors.

CanCham Sri Lanka presented a Five-Year Strategic Tourism Development Plan to the Canadian High Commissioner and said the draft will be finalised within 60 days. The chamber also announced plans for a business delegation to Canada, scholarships, CSR initiatives and referenced Canada's CAD 500 billion Indo-Pacific commitment.

Melco Resorts and Entertainment has launched City of Dreams Sri Lanka in Colombo, billed as South Asia's first integrated resort, featuring the luxury Nüwa hotel plus entertainment, premium dining, retail and leisure offerings.

CIPM convened a roundtable of 30 stakeholders to address Sri Lanka's widening skills gap, noting shortages across IT, tourism, construction, manufacturing and healthcare and recommending industry-academia partnerships, vocational reforms and upskilling initiatives.

Expo Leisure Cluster won six awards at the 8th SLASSCOM National Ingenuity Awards 2026 on 16 June, including national wins for EVS Study Fly (Edu-Tech), EVS EZ Visa App (E‑Commerce) and Classic Travel's Competitor IQ (Hospitality). The wins underscore the cluster's investment in digital platforms across travel, tourism, visa and education to improve customer experience and efficiency.

Citrus Leisure PLC reopened Citrus Waskaduwa (after a one-month refurbishment) and Citrus Hikkaduwa (after a two-month refurbishment) on 1 July 2026. The properties feature refreshed rooms, upgraded facilities and infrastructure, staff service training, and the group plans AI-driven digital enhancements for guest experiences.

Finch Foods opened a premium travel-retail outlet in the Departure/Transit Duty Free area at Bandaranaike International Airport to showcase and sell premium Sri Lankan food products and gifting collections to international travellers.

Jetwing Hotels has launched Jetwing Wahawa Walauwa, an exclusive all-suite boutique villa in Rambukkana, restoring a 19th-century walauwa with four grand suites and two junior suites. The property emphasizes heritage architecture, personalised butler service, landscaped gardens and proximity to Colombo and Kandy.

Bank of Ceylon's Maldives branch celebrated its 45th anniversary and announced an upcoming Internet Banking launch; the branch channelled $126.4m in remittances to Sri Lanka in 2025.

Sri Lanka and China EXIM Bank aim to sign an amended financing agreement for the Central Expressway Project (Section I, Kadawatha–Mirigama) by end‑August 2026, subject to internal approvals. The talks also covered broader development cooperation and priority sectors including tourism, logistics, energy and IT.

The government borrowed Rs.1.96 trillion in 2025, well below the Rs.4 trillion statutory ceiling, raising Rs.2.4 trillion via domestic Treasury Bond issuances while securing $1.23 billion in new foreign loan commitments and receiving $1.78 billion in disbursements.

INFRACON 2026 opened at BMICH in Colombo and runs through Sunday; the exhibition brings regional exhibitors in HVAC-R, power & energy (including green energy), safe water management and building materials to promote trade, investment and technology in Sri Lanka's infrastructure and construction sectors.

Lanka Business TV held its 'Vyavasayaka' Business and Investment Summit in Panadura with over 250 attendees; speakers included NDB Wealth Management CEO Ruwan Perera and senior John Keells Properties and group executives. The broadcaster plans two more summits in Kandy and Kurunegala for 2026.

Hikkaduwa Beach Resorts PLC and Waskaduwa Beach Resorts PLC completed refurbishments and reopened their Citrus hotels: Citrus Hikkaduwa resumed operations on 1 July and Citrus Waskaduwa on 2 July.

China EXIM Bank Vice President Yang Dongning met Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister of Finance on 2 July 2026 to review and expedite the amended financing agreement for the Central Expressway Project (CEP-1) Section I, targeting signature before end‑August 2026. They also discussed cooperation to support tourism, value-added manufacturing, logistics, energy, IT and higher-education links.

Softlogic Holdings has raised 2.03 billion rupees of a targeted 10 billion-rupee equity raise and sold Odel's Koswatta land for about 1.5 billion rupees as part of a restructuring after both Softlogic and Odel were placed on the Colombo Stock Exchange Watchlist. Odel restructured 90% of bank facilities, converted a 3.2 billion-rupee intercompany loan to equity and scaled down the Odel Mall project to 6.28 billion rupees.

Ameena Ziauddin (Norfolk Foods) was elected President of the Council for Business with Britain; John Keells (JKH.N0000), Hayleys (HAYL.N0000) and Aitken Spence (SPEN.N0000) were elected to the 2026–27 committee and Commercial Bank (COMB.N0000) was invited to join. The meeting highlighted rising UK tourist arrivals and UK DCTS reforms expanding zero‑tariff access for Sri Lankan exporters.

UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka held CATALYZE 2026: Social on 24 June to mobilize businesses on social sustainability and responsible leadership; participants and partners included Jetwing Symphony PLC, Lighthouse Hotel PLC, Hemas Holdings, Commercial Bank, Sampath Bank and Elpitiya Plantations.

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau launched an international influencer familiarization tour (6–17 July 2026) bringing creators from Australia and Indonesia to showcase key destinations across the island to millions of followers. The program involves hotels, transport and other tourism partners to boost global exposure and inspire travel.

Lanka Premier League 2026 will open at SSC Colombo with a 500-drone opening ceremony; tickets go on sale 1 July via BookMyShow. Organisers say the spectacle is intended to boost the fan experience, broadcast appeal and the tournament's entertainment profile.

The Sri Lanka–Germany Business Council held Members' Day where Germany reaffirmed cooperation and highlighted opportunities in logistics, manufacturing, renewable energy, green technologies, digital transformation and tourism. SLGBC also announced a CSR project to support a local school's infrastructure.

Emirates customers have made more than one million connections to Starlink Wi-Fi since the service launched across the airline's fleet seven months ago. The system is fitted on 33 Boeing 777s and three A380s, with over 60 Starlink-equipped flights daily and A380s offering more than 2 Gbps combined bandwidth.