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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Tourist arrivals up 34%

By Mario Andree

Tourist arrivals for the first three months this year increased 34.1 percent to 215,124 from 160,409 a year ago while arrivals in March increased 43.5 percent to 75,130 from 52,352 in March 2010, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority data showed. The highest number of arrivals was recorded from Western Europe.

For the first three months arrivals from North America increased 27.3 percent to 11,736 from 9,222 while Latin American visitors increased 68.2 percent to 328 from 195 a year ago.

Western European tourists increased 34.1 percent to 93, 722 from 69, 877 while arrivals from Eastern Europe increased 21.6 percent to 15,393 from 12,655.

South African arrivals picked up 113.9 percent to 813 from 380 while Middle Eastern tourists increased 28.7 percent to 9,426 from 7,324.

Arrivals from East Asia increased 30.7 percent to 21,262 from 16,270 while South Asian arrivals increased 41.3 percent to 52,548 from 37,194.

Tourist arrivals from Australasian countries recorded a growth of 35.7 percent to 9,896 from 7,292 a year ago.

Recently Tourism Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said Sri Lanka would reach 800,000 tourists this year after surpassing 650,000 arrivals last year.

He said that approval was given to establish 34 hotels by the end of last month. Four among them are Five Star hotels. Construction of 13 hotels in Pasikuda investing US $ 90 million which consist of 878 rooms is also approved. Hundred Home Stay Units are also to be initiated island wide.

Temasek Foundation Center for Trade and Negotiation, Head, Ms Deborah Elms said Sri Lanka should take maximum advantage from tourism with the prospects of international tourism is expected to increase rapidly.

She said tourism would be the next key industry driving the island economy with wider facilities available to the international traveller. Directing her comment on Eco-Tourism she said Sri Lanka can have the upper hand in the segment if it is well developed.

She pointed out Agri-Tourism also would be an encouragement to our farmers increasing their income and productivity.

source - www.island.lk