More than 200 hotel owners, hospitality leaders, developers, and policymakers are expected to meet in Colombo on September 29 to discuss the hospitality industry’s future direction.
The International Hospitality Leaders’ Conference (IHLC) 2026 will take place at Cinnamon Grand Colombo. The Institute of Hospitality (IOH) Sri Lanka Chapter is organising the event.
For people working in hotels and tourism, the main focus will be developing a Vision 2030 Whitepaper. Organisers describe it as the first collective roadmap for the hospitality sector.
The conference will bring together local and international industry experts. They will discuss key issues that affect hotel businesses, tourism operators and hospitality professionals.
Six Areas Will Shape the Discussion
The conference will focus on six areas that have a direct impact on the industry.
These include leadership and governance, commercial performance, digital transformation, sustainability, workforce development and destination competitiveness.
Commercial performance will be a key area for hotel owners and operators. At the same time, digital tools and new technology are changing how hospitality businesses manage operations and serve guests.
Workforce development will also form part of the discussion. The sector continues to rely on skilled people across hotels, restaurants and tourism businesses.
The programme will also look at sustainability and destination competitiveness. These areas can affect how destinations attract visitors and how hospitality businesses compete for them.
International Hospitality Experience
The conference will feature speakers from major hospitality and tourism organisations.
They include Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary for Tourism at the Seychelles’ Department of Tourism; Sudeep Jain, Managing Director for South West Asia at IHG Hotels & Resorts; and Giampaolo Ottazzi, Interim Managing Director and General Manager of Raffles Singapore.
Other speakers include Belgian trend analyst and change psychologist Herman Konings, CodeGen Group President and CEO Dr. Harsha Subasinghe, and hospitality revenue management expert Faisal Murtaza.
Ramesh Dassanayake, Chairman of the Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka Chapter, said the conference aims to move beyond discussion and help set a clear direction for the industry.
Ramesh Dassanayake, Chairman of the Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka Chapter
“With voices like these joining us from across the region and beyond, I’m confident this conference will deliver more than dialogue; it will deliver direction for where Sri Lankan hospitality goes from here,” he said.
What Hospitality Professionals Can Expect
The conference is designed to connect senior industry decision-makers with experts from tourism, hotel management, technology and other fields.
As a result, the event will give hospitality professionals a chance to discuss business performance, technology, sustainability and workforce issues with industry peers.
The Vision 2030 Whitepaper is expected to bring these discussions together and set out areas for future industry action.
Registration costs Rs.25,000 per delegate. The fee includes a full day of conference sessions, networking and hospitality experiences.
The conference will take place on September 29 at Cinnamon Grand Colombo. Further details and registration are available at vision2030.ihsrilanka.com
Last modified: September 19, 2026
