Belgians have been 'early birds' in seizing on the new economic opportunities opening up in Sri Lanka since the ending of the terrorist conflict in May 2009, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Belgium, Luxemburg and the EU Ravinatha Ariyasinghe said.

Noting that both Sri Lanka and Belgium, where the SME sector is prominent, presents a better fit to do business, he said this trend has been supported by the Government of Belgium through its positive travel advisories, improved country risk ratings, enhanced export credit facilities and by continuing to be an active partner in Sri Lanka promotional events.

Ambassador Ariyasinghe made these observations when he addressed the Cercle de Lorraine-The Brussels Business Club, in Brussels on November 9.

Observing that attracting Belgian business persons and travellers towards Sri Lanka was a process set in motion well before the ending of the conflict through January 2009 re-launching of the Belgolux- Sri Lanka Business Council which had laid dormant for over a decade, the Ambassador said undoubtedly its high was the November 2010 visit to Sri Lanka by a Belgian business delegation comprising over 50 persons from 40 companies, with interests in a wide range of products and services. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce had noted at the time that it was by far the largest business delegation to visit Sri Lanka from the West since the restoration of peace. He said, results from that visit have been fast and tangible, with most of those visiting Sri Lanka for the first time signing and operationalizing contracts, while many of the veterans expanding their business ventures. A reflection of Belgian enthusiasm in doing business in Sri Lanka was also seen in the Belgolux-Sri Lanka Business Council (BLSLBC), being incorporated as a non-profit organization in Belgium in February in 2011. In the tourism sector, in the first nine months of 2011, Belgian tourists visiting Sri Lanka showed an impressive growth of 114.5% compared a Western European average increase of 25.3%.