Belgium relaxes travel advisory [December 24 2010]

With a total improvement in security situation in Sri Lanka, Belgium has relaxed its travel advisory to its nationals when visiting Sri Lanka from this month.

Several western and European countries had relaxed the travel advisory following the defeat of terrorism in May 2009. As a result, tourism industry in the country is flourishing now with increased influx of tourists. The tourist arrival has registered over 50 percent increase since the end of war in 2009. .

In its September 2010 travel advisory it was stated “given the security situation, all travelling to North and East of Sri Lanka not recommended” but due to prevailing peaceful environment the Belgium has relaxed its travel advisory.

According to Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU, Ravinatha Aryasinha Belgian tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka have increased by 108.2 percent in the first 11 months of 2010 when compared with corresponding periods of yester year.

The increase in tourist arrivals from Belgium in November 2010 alone, over that of November 2009 was a staggering 290.5 percent.

“In less than one year since Sri Lanka got back on the Belgian travel catalogues and only a month since a direct weekly flight was launched, Belgium was clearly accelerating to where it left off in Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals table, prior to terrorism affecting the country,” he said.