Colombo Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazaar represented the city at the Annual General Meeting of the International Tourism Alliance of Silk Road Cities, held in Quanzhou, China.
Addressing the summit on behalf of non-Chinese member and observer cities, Balthazaar emphasized the role of a modern Silk Road in fostering connections through tourism, culture, and shared purpose.
She outlined Colombo’s tourism strategy, which aims to transform the city from a transit hub into a destination encouraging visitors to stay up to 72 hours. The plan includes infrastructure upgrades, new heritage guidelines, and cultural and recreational initiatives to enhance the visitor experience.
Balthazaar was accompanied by MMC Mohomad Jaufer and representatives from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. (Newswire)