EME Level Up: AI Hospitality Connect Sri Lanka 2026 Brings Together 200+ Delegates and 80+ Hospitality Brands

Colombo, Sri Lanka — July 21, 2026 — eMarketingEye (EME), the region’s leading digital marketing agency for the hospitality industry, successfully hosted EME Level Up: AI Hospitality Connect Sri Lanka 2026 on July 14 at Shangri-La Colombo.

The half-day conference, themed “Think. Innovate. Elevate.,” drew more than 200 delegates and representatives from over 80 hospitality brands across Sri Lanka, Maldives, Malaysia & Thailand. The event was well received by attendees, marking one of the region’s largest gatherings dedicated to AI and digital innovation in hospitality. The audience included senior industry leaders such as CEOs, General Managers, Marketing Directors and eCommerce Professionals, reflecting the strong interest in how AI is reshaping the hospitality landscape.

The conference highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence, digital marketing, and data-driven strategies in helping hospitality brands strengthen visibility, connect with travellers, and drive business growth in an increasingly AI-first travel landscape.

“It was great to see more than 200 industry leaders come together for this timely conference, reflecting the hospitality sector’s strong appetite to embrace AI, unlock new opportunities, and remain competitive in the rapidly evolving future of travel,” said Rajitha Dahanayake, CEO of eMarketingEye.

Delegates heard from a distinguished line-up of speakers from eMarketingEye, alongside global and regional technology partners including Aven Hospitality, TrustYou, and Lighthouse.

The conference placed strong emphasis on some of the most significant developments shaping the future of hospitality marketing; these included advanced AI visibility tracking tools, Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), AI-powered paid campaigns, AI-generated creatives, reshaping the hotel booking journey through AI, and using AI to unlock new revenue opportunities from guest data.

The key highlight of the event was the high-profile fireside chat, “Reimagining Destination Marketing: How AI is Rewriting the Path to Discovery,” which brought together two leading national tourism board chairpersons and one of the region’s foremost digital marketing experts on a single stage.

The discussion featured Buddhika Hewawasam, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau; Abdulla Ghiyas, Chairperson of Visit Maldives Corporation; and Rajitha Dahanayake, Chief Executive Officer of eMarketingEye, moderated by Glen A. Grosic, Managing Director – Asia at HSMAI. The conversation highlighted how artificial intelligence is reshaping destination discovery, traveller behaviour, tourism marketing, and future competitiveness.

Alongside this, eMarketingEye used the platform to launch the June 2026 edition of its AI Visibility Reports for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Produced using EME’s proprietary AI visibility monitoring platform, AEYEPULSE, these reports track how hotel and resort brands across both markets are discovered, ranked, and recommended in AI-generated responses on platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude; this gives hospitality brands a fresh, month-on-month view of their standing in this fast-evolving area of digital discovery.

The event was proudly hosted by eMarketingEye in collaboration with supporting partners Aven Hospitality, TrustYou, and Lighthouse. The event was further strengthened by the support of Daily FT as the Official Print Media Partner, Derana and Ada Derana as the Official Television Partners, Travel Talk Asia as the Official Trade Media Partner and The Kingsbury as the Official Hospitality Partner.

The conference concluded with a networking cocktail session, giving delegates the opportunity to connect with speakers, partners, and peers from across the hospitality industry.

About eMarketingEye

eMarketingEye is an internationally recognised digital marketing agency specialising in the travel and hospitality industry, working with over 1,200 hotels across 45+ countries. The company empowers hospitality brands with innovative digital strategies to drive direct bookings, maximise revenue, and enhance online visibility.

For more information, visit www.emarketingeye.com