The organiser of COITM has recently announced that  Sri Lanka has confirmed its participation at the 2026 China Outbound & Inbound Travel Market (COITM), which will be held from 14 -16 October at New Hall (Hall 11), National Agricultural Exhibition Center in Beijing.

Boosted by its free Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) visa policy for Chinese citizens, Sri Lanka has become a popular Chinese outbound destination. Extended and upgraded in May 2026, the policy offers eligible Chinese tourists 30-day free double-entry access.Sri Lanka received over 132,000 Chinese tourists in 2025. In the first seven months of 2026, Chinese visitor arrivals topped 163,000, making China its third-largest tourist source market.

To serve Chinese tourists, Sri Lanka is expanding Chinese-language services and streamlining online ETA applications. Air connectivity improvements: Capital Airlines plans to resume Beijing–Colombo direct flights (twice weekly) from September 2026, adding to the current 23 weekly direct flights. Sri Lanka’s participation at COITM underscores Sri Lanka’s commitment to China through visa facilitation, restored air links, and active trade fair engagement. From heritage sites and pristine  beaches to wildlife safaris, the island paradise welcomes more Chinese travellers.