3 quick questions for Marcus Pettersson, Sri Lanka’s honorary consul in western Sweden. He is the CEO of the insurance group MySafety and president of the IT-group Frontwalker. Marcus has extensive experience in the tourism industry both internationally and nationally.
What does the work as an honorary consul entail?
The work is an unpaid assignment with three main responsibilities. The honorary consul’s primary task is to represent Sri Lanka in public contexts and within the business sector. The consul is also responsible for supporting Sri Lankan citizens.
An important part is also to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination, trade partner and modern business nation. The third responsibility is to act as the country’s eyes and ears in areas such as research and business, and to report relevant information to the embassy.
What were the most important events in 2024?
It was both an intense and rewarding year. H.E. Ambassador Kapila Fonseka made a successful visit to the Gothenburg region, meeting with industry representatives as well as the governor of western Sweden.
Numerous constructive dialogues were established. An important area, where my own professional experiences have been particularly useful, has been the development of the tourism industry. Swedish visitors are seasoned travelers who stay for long periods, seek authenticity, and are willing to spend generously during their stay in Sri Lanka.
You recently returned from a business trip to Sri Lanka. What are your main impressions?
Sri Lanka is an outstanding country with strong momentum. Through hard work and strong discipline, the country’s fiscal recovery has made significant progress. I experienced both political and economic stability, which creates conditions for long term predictability — key element for developing trade relations. I also believe that our two countries’ business cultures align well, a foundation for trust.
I am looking forward to the rest of 2025 with great confidence. The ”Clean Sri Lanka” initiative, coordinated by the embassy in Sweden, is an exciting example. My hope is to bring together Swedish expertise in renewable energy, material recycling, and waste management with Sri Lankan stakeholders. To that, Sri Lanka’s strong IT sector should naturally be added as a key area of itself.
