Producing the goods

At the Thailand counter, a Thai salesperson called Sarah was answering questions from enthusiastic Chinese visitors.

"We brought 10 products from Thailand this time," says Sarah, who speaks fluent Chinese.

As one of the most popular outbound destination for Chinese tourists, Thailand has many products, especially herbal products for skin problems, which are very popular among Chinese travelers.

This prompted Sarah and her team to bring Thai products closer to consumers here.

"We'd like them to be able to get our products on their doorstep, without having to travel far," Sarah says.

She says that Thai herbal products have enjoyed brisk sales during her participation in multiple promotional events this year, including those in Shandong and Sichuan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

"We'll certainly participate in more events like the Beijing expo, if more opportunities present themselves," she says.

Nalika Kodikara, minister-counselor of commercial affairs with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in China, also attended the Beijing expo to highlight what her country can offer as a tourist destination.

"This is a good time for Chinese tourists to visit Sri Lanka, as we have a preferential policy to welcome Chinese tourists," Kodikara says.

Visa-free entry for Chinese travelers has been approved by the Sri Lankan government and has been in effect since last month, she adds.

Chinese travelers have shown enthusiasm for the wildlife, landscapes, history and heritage of Sri Lanka.

"They love to visit our spice gardens and tea plantations," Kodikara says.

"Since March, we have seen a tremendous increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Sri Lanka," she adds.

Now there are five direct flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu in Sichuan province, Guangzhou in Guangdong province and Kunming in Yunnan province. The Chinese account for the third-largest group of international tourists to Sri Lanka so far this year, Kodikara says.

During the recent third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China, the two sides spoke positively of the progress of bilateral cooperation on culture and tourism.

In a joint statement from the forum, the two sides said they will continue to encourage their citizens to travel to each other's countries and provide assistance for each other to expand tourism. Both sides agreed to encourage better air connectivity. Sri Lanka is ready to introduce more policies to facilitate tourism, while China is ready to provide facilities to build a Sri Lankan Buddhist pagoda at the Baima Temple in Luoyang, Henan province.

With government support on both sides, Kodikara is confident that more Chinese travelers will visit Sri Lanka and play a bigger role in promoting tourism and its economy.