Tourist arrivals increase [September 14 2010]

Shirajiv Sirimane

The healthy trend in tourist arrivals continued last month too showing a 35.7 percent increase. A total of 55,898 tourists visited the country last month.

The most encouraging sign was from Western European tourists who showed a 46 percent boost while UK and German arrivals saw a 43 percent rise. France increased to 74 percent to 2,925. This is very impressive since this is the off season.

For the first time a group of 25 tourists from USA arrived in Sri Lanka though an initiative launched by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington last month and this trend is expected to continue.

One of the main reasons for the increase of European arrivals is the lifting of adverse travel advisories imposed against Sri Lanka due to the war, which ended last year. South Asian visitors grew 15 percent.

Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa predicted that this year, tourist arrivals and revenue will hit an all time record.