Sri Lanka shines at the South Asian Tourism Awards!

Celebrating excellence in the region's travel and hospitality industry, a grand gala ceremony of the 9th edition of the South Asian Travel Awards (SATA) 2025 was held in Colombo from September 19 - 20 (2025) hosted by Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Sri Lanka being the destination partner.

- BY CLAUDE GUNASEKERA

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Sri Lanka won the best of Gold Awards, as most popular island at the Wanderlust Travel Awards of the South Asian Region, SATA, populary known as the South Asian Travel Awards. These awards signifies the highest level of recognition for Sri Lanka tourism industry. This recognition reflected a remarkable recovery, reaching the one-million visitor milestone faster than in previous years, with the “Year of Tourism Revival” declared for 2025.

SATA Chairman Ismail Hameed said the event is to celebrate innovation and service excellence in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry across South Asia. "This year's gala brought together distinguished guests, eminent tourism authorities, esteemed partners, and industry leaders from across the region. Against the vibrant backdrop of Sri Lanka's culture and heritage, the evening celebrated South Asia's collective spirit of hospitality and innovation" said Hameed.

In a night of recognition and inspiration Sri Lanka won 17 SATA Gold Awards among 53 Gold Award winners and 13 Silver Awards among 113 winners in honoured red across diverse categories, showcasing the very best of Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. The winners embodied not only service excellence and innovation but also resilience and unity that continue to elevate South Asia's tourism industry to global prominence. The Visitors' Choice Awards, reflecting the voice of global travellers, were among the most anticipated recognitions of the evening.

SATA-2025-Kamal Munasingha receiving an award for the best General Manager