Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, engaged in a series of tourism‑related programmes in Bangkok aimed at learning from Thailand’s approaches to destination promotion, product development, and heritage‑based tourism.
According to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok, hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), led by Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool, the Minister joined a curated heritage walk through Bangkok’s historic Songwat neighbourhood.
The “Walking Journey on Songwat” showcased how Thailand integrates multicultural communities, traditional commerce, historic architecture, contemporary art, and everyday local life into distinctive tourism experiences.
The nine‑stop walk demonstrated how historic districts can be revitalised while preserving cultural identity and creating opportunities for tourism and local businesses.
Minister Herath also visited Asiatique The Riverfront, owned by the Thai Charoen Corporation Group (TCC Group), meeting senior advisors and management to gain insights into the development of a major lifestyle destination that combines heritage, retail, dining, entertainment, and waterfront experiences with advanced technology and digital innovation.
Further, the Minister toured the historic Wat Pho temple, observing Thailand’s promotion of Buddhist and cultural heritage as part of its tourism offering.
Officials noted the relevance of this visit given the longstanding Buddhist and cultural ties between Sri Lanka and Thailand, and the potential to expand Buddhist and spiritual tourism.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok said these engagements form part of efforts to strengthen Sri Lanka’s tourism products by drawing on Thailand’s expertise in destination development, heritage tourism, and international promotion. (Newswire)