The latest trend globally is where affluent people indulge in an interest or passion which is an opportunity for countries to attract top top dollar tourists provided the country has the unique terrain to meet the expectations of the visitors. The minister for Tourism and Sports Navin Dissanayake, deputy Minister of the Foreign Minister, Malaysian High Commissioner together with chairman Sri Lanka tourism flagged off 18 bikers from Galadari Hotel the host hotel, who flew specially from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore to explore the country and experience the treasures if Sri Lanka.

The Malaysian- Sri Lanka bikers friendship association is one such passionate group of people who are not just a group of motor cycle riding enthusiast but actually are a set of deeply passionate people where riding is a way of life who has found Sri Lanka attractive who has the potential to spend five hundred dollars a day which is double the tourism earnings from a western traveller said chairman Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Rohantha Athukorala.

Sri Lanka Tourism is at a up beat performance with February recording a 16.7% growth in 2015 and to date the cumulative growth at 11.6% with the lead country china growing at 85.6% which is an interesting trend given that it has beaten the traditional performance of UK for the first time and poised to be the number 2 visitor destination for attracting visitors to Sri Lanka.

The group leader Leslie Tilak commented that each bike must be worth around half a million dollars and this exploration is unique as the 18 bikers who have flown the bikes specially for the ride will be a test operation as the chairman SLPB so that we can host a south Asian Bikers expedition in Sri Lanka where almost 5000 riders will be powering top dollar bikes across the country. Just imagine the impact financially to the value chain to the Sri Lanka tourism voiced Athukorala.

The 18 bikers will be followed by a coach that follow the group and route includes Sigiriya, Kandy, Pasikudah, Galle, Hikkaduwa and finally in Sri Lanka will take part in the 'one million tree story project' a Sri Lanka tourism initiative to address the forest cover depletion in the country from 53% to 29.3% in the last two decades of development in the country.