Indians top with 176,340:

Over 30 percent increase in tourist arrivals

By P. Krishnaswamy

The tourist industry is gaining momentum rapidly with 421,501 arrivals in the first quarter of this year indicative of a positive forecast of the Government's targeted 2.5 Mn arrivals by 2016 generating a foreign exchange revenue of US $ 2.75 billion. The total number of international inbound tourists reached 146, 000 tourists in January 2014 as against 110,543 in the corresponding month last year which is a 32.6 percent increase , 141,878 in February 2014 as against 113,968 in February 2013 which is a 24.5 percent increase and 133,048 in March 2014 as against 113,208 in March 2013 which a 17.5 percent increase.

It is likely that the current month will top the other months of the year with increased arrivals already recorded, government sources said. The percentage of increase in the first quarter of this year compared to the corresponding period last year is 24.8 percent which is well above the anticipated growth. Tourist arrivals in 2013 was an increase of 26.7 percent which again was well above the forecast , the number of arrivals being 1.27 Mn and the earnings surpassing US $ 1.7 billion, according to authoritative sources.

Of the top 15 countries on the list , India, which is one of the focus markets of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board (SLTPB) topped the list with 176,340 arrivals in 2012 and 208,795 in 2013. The UK , Germany, Maldives , France , China , Australia , Russia , Ukraine , USA, Japan , Canada , Pakistan, S.Arabia and Netherlands are the other 14 countries in the list in the order of sequence. Tourist arrivals from these countries had considerably increased in 2013 as against 2012. Consequent to promotional drive carried out in the Chinese market and the creative activities , tourist arrivals from China had almost doubled in 2013 compared to the year 2012, according to official reports.

It is understood that since September 2013, SLTPB together with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the People Republic of China in succession started advertisements on 200 public buses in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu cities, which last for 6 months. Among them, Beijing has 50 double decker buses.

Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu have 50 normal buses each. That is comprehensive coverage of large trunk road, universities, campuses and central business districts. The bus advertisement is a mobile outdoor media advertisement method to show the rich tourism resources of Sri Lanka in polyhedral solid ways, according reports.

And the sales are very popular. Chartered tourist products are fully booked before two months of the holiday as a salutary result of the advertisements which had contributed to enlightening them of Sri Lanka as a very beautiful tropical country.

The Ministry of Economic Development , in coordination with all private sector stakeholders is targeting over 36,000 hotel rooms to receive the 2.5 Mn guests by 2016. Leisure wings of several business conglomerates have already launched many hotel projects in the city and in other popular tourist destinations in the country - in the Southern, Eastern and Northwestern provinces. Furthermore, another focus of the growth trend in the tourism sector will be the sustainable increase and modernization of accommodation all over the island. Many international chains are building new hotels in Sri Lanka, among them are the Best Western, Hyatt, Mariott, Mövenpick, Sheraton and Shangri-La.

Asia Leisure, a fully owned subsidiary of Asia Capital was the second hotel group to enter Kalpitiya, a newly emerging tourist destination. Anantaya Resort & Spa, the luxury resort owned by Laugfs Leisure , a subsidiary of the Laugfs Holdings, was recently opened near Chilaw in the Northwestern province.

350 hotels take part in a European Commission funded project called “Greening Sri Lanka Hotels” – targeted at enhancing the environmental performance of Sri Lankan hotels through improvement of energy, water and waste management systems up to 20 percent in order to enhance the environmental performance and increase the market acceptance of Sri Lankan hotels through promoting them as low carbon foot print green hotels.

Under the guidance and direction of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Tourism wants to ensure that the tourists from the time they touch down in the island to their entire experience and their departure everything is well looked after and they leave the country satisfied.

Accordingly the government has identified the need to develop sound infrastructure facilities to achieve a sustainable growth in the tourism sector in the years to come. Being in line with the expected growth, the government has implemented some mega resort development projects in the Eastern cost of the country. In 2009 the Sri Lanka Tourism launched the Kalpitiya Tourism Resort Project.

Acquisition of 5000 acres for the project was initiated and the resort will have a minimum of 5000 rooms . Kalpitiya Tourism promotion zone, took off the ground when ‘Dutch Bay Resorts’ laid the foundation stone for a 80-villa luxury resort. The investment is in the tune of US $ 175 Mn for the project with $ 75 million being invested for the phase one which includes the construction of 75 luxury boutique chalets. In addition the property would include a Spa Club, Floating Restaurants and a helipad where tourists could land after touching down at the Colombo Air port. Prior to 1983 Passikudaha was a popular resort among tourists both foreign and local.

It was located by the bay on a land 150 acres in extent. The resort at the time was planned to accommodate 500 rooms in several stages and by 1983 there were 171 rooms in operation in three hotels and necessary infrastructure facilities were in place. Sri Lanka Tourism has now revived it as a major tourist destination and it is already very popular among foreign and local tourists. Other major hotel projects are also coming up.

There will be an increase in the foreign exchange earnings from US$ 500 million in 2010 to USD 2.75 billion by the year 2016. A huge increase is expected in the tourism related employment from 125,000 in 2010 to 500,000 by 2016 and expansion of tourism based industry and related services Island wide.

With these strategies in place, the tourism industry of Sri Lanka is poised for growth being in line with the national effort of making Sri Lanka, the emerging Wonder of Asia.