Sri Lanka Tourism, in collaboration with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Hague, had the opportunity of showing that it’s a travel destination visiting at least for once in a lifetime, which spread the island destinations ‘uniqueness all across the European Region, participating at the Embassy Festival held recently in The Hague , Netherlands. The Sri Lanka stall was a tremendous success, making a notable impression at the festival mesmerizing the Dutch, and attracting a significant number of visitors, with it’s vibrant Tourism Products , Cultural Performances , live Culinary experiences and promotional videos . Many who visited the Sri Lankan stall expressed their keen interest in taking a look Sri Lankas promotional items , including handicrafts with their eye catching colors , spicy aroma of the herbs and authentic Sri Lankan cuisine , and getting a chance to take a sip of the world renowned Ceylon tea. The cultural items included a stage performance showcasing Sri Lankas rich cultural heritage, which added more glamour and color to the occasion.

The Embassy festival is an annual cultural occasion and a Tourism Promotional event in The Hague, The Netherlands, providing Diplomatic missions with a valuable platform to present the rich cultural diversity, heritage and tourism opportunities of their respective countries to Dutch and International travelers. This spectacular event was held for the 4th consecutive year, and this year’s Embassy festival was formally Inaugurated by the mayor of the Hague, Mr. Jan Van Zanen , with the participation of 46 embassies and international organizations . The event welcomed more than 70,000 visitors and offered a platform to showcase Sri Lankas rich heritage, cuisine, crafts, music and dance to ensure more tourist arrivals to the destination and enabling the visitors to add Sri Lanka to their bucket list of travel destinations.

The main objective of Sri Lanka taking part in this festival was to uplift the country’s profile as a travel destination, promoting its capacity as a travel destination, it’s world renowned warmth and hospitality, and the importance of having easy accessibility as a 365-day destination along with a myriad of exclusive travel opportunities, ranging from a walk on the sun kissed beaches down south to exploring the misty mountains, added by the lush greenery of the upcountry tea estates. Sri Lanka’s wellness Tourism, including Sri Lanka’s refreshing Ayurveda therapy was also a notable attraction at this event. The visitors thoroughly enjoyed the Sri Lankan cuisine and the friendly and lively surroundings. The visitors praised the authenticity and the cultural beauty of the pavilion that reflected the beauty of the tourist attractions in the country. The Sri Lanka pavilion proved to be an eye catcher with many visitors curious to see what Sri Lanka had to offer and gain more information about Sri Lanka.

With this successful participation, The Netherlands have been identified as an important source market for Sri Lanka, and given the necessary promotion and recognition, it will provide the opportunity of increasing the number of tourist arrivals from the European region. From 1st January to 23rd October 2025, a total of 1,845,164 tourist arrivals have been recorded while 54,762 tourist arrivals have been from the Netherlands.

Having a taste of authentic Sri Lankan cuisine

Cultural Performance

A spicy flavour added with Kottu Rotti

Souvenier items

Sri Lankan cuisine on display

The crowd at the festival

Visitors at the Sri Lanka stall