Boat & Marine Show 2023 organized by the Chamber of Marine Industries of Sri Lanka (CMISL) and Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) in association with the Ministry of Industries, Tourism Promotion Bureau and other relevant stakeholders will be held from 27th – 29th October 2023 at the Port City Marina, Colombo.
The 8th edition of the Boat Show is organized with the objective of enhancing the international profile of Sri Lanka as a marine tourism destination and a quality boat manufacturing hub and will be showcasing the country’s capabilities in marine tourism, recreational boating, yachting and boat building which is mainly focused on exports. The Boat Show in Sri Lanka is a dynamic platform to exhibit the country’s capabilities in the boatbuilding industry, from craftsmanship to innovation, and to forge valuable connections with international partners, investors, and clients. It can effectively position Sri Lanka as a competitive player in the global boatbuilding market.
EDB has been the key stakeholder of the Boat Show since its inception and this show has opened up a new frontier of fishing, leisure, industrial and commercial vessels and marine tourism.
40 leading boat building, marine services, engineering services, charter companies and accessory & component manufacturers will display boat and boating-related products and services in 66 stalls. Further, the marina will be used for on-water display of Boats, Catamarans etc. and for water activities.
This year the show will be organized in the Port City; a World Class City to be developed in South Asia providing the highest quality commercial, entertainment, medical, education and lifestyle opportunities. This state-of-the-art marina offers an ideal venue for the event, providing ample docking space for an array of boats, from small watercraft to luxurious yachts, ensuring that exhibitors can conveniently showcase their vessels. The marina’s strategic location within the Colombo Port City offers easy access for participants and visitors, both domestic and international, fostering increased participation and attendance. With its modern facilities, the Port City Marina also provides essential amenities and services, such as maintenance and repair services, ensuring that the boats on display are in top-notch condition. Moreover, its proximity to the emerging Port City development offers a dynamic and attractive backdrop for the boat show, underscoring the potential for business, tourism, and investment opportunities within this ambitious urban project. Overall, Port City Marina significantly enhances the Boat Show’s effectiveness as a platform to exhibit Sri Lanka’s boatbuilding industry and its potential on the global stage.
An extensive promotional campaign will be carried out by EDB, Tourism Promotion Bureau and CMISL to promote the show locally and internationally with the objective of enhancing the awareness of Sri Lanka’s boating, Nautical tourism and marine industry among the boating enthusiasts of the respective countries.
The buyers from the countries of Maldives, India, Seychelles, Egypt and Mauritius confirmed their participation at the show with the objective of sourcing boats from Sri Lanka and exploring future business ventures, and investment opportunities in the Boating, Nautical tourism and Marine industry. International journalists from the International Boating Industry (IBI) magazine will visit the show to witness the event.
Further, it is proposed to organize an International Conference on “Nautical tourism and grow boating” on 28th October 2023 parallel to the Boat & Marine Show with the participation of local and overseas industry representatives at the Kingsbury Hotel Colombo. The conference is mainly focused on nautical tourism and will be an ideal platform for promoting Sri Lanka as a Nautical Tourism destination.
Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka are booming and reached 1 Mn in September this year, the highest after the Covid Pandemic showcasing the green light to the nautical tourism sector in Sri Lanka. This show and the conference to be organized will also be an appropriate platform to create awareness of marine tourism and leisure boating culture among the tourists and general public.
The boat-building industry in Sri Lanka from the beginning has demonstrated its ability to develop designs and build state-of-the-art boats that meet international quality and performance standards to cater to the international market requirements contributing significantly to raising the level of overall export performance of the country.
Further, the industry has shown significant growth in the last decade and has proved its ability to diversify and access new market destinations such as Singapore, Maldives, Japan, Netherlands and the African Region.
The boat & ship building industry has achieved US $ 67 Mn this year up to August and expects to increase this amount significantly by next year with the initiatives by the EDB in the fields of supply chain development, technology upgradation and local and international promotion.