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Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka increase
Xinhua

Colombo, Oct 20 (Xinhua) Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka in the first nine months of 2005 increased by eight percent as compared to the same period last year, the Daily News reported Thursday.

The total tourist arrivals up to September 2005 were 405,585, an increase of nearly 30,000 tourists, or eight percent, compared with 375,630 arrivals same period last year, according to a release by Sri Lanka Tourist Board.

The majority of tourists to Sri Lanka were from South Asia, which accounted for 114,039 arrivals, a healthy increase of 31.4 percent as against corresponding period last year. 

Indian tourists accounted for 82,434 visitors compared to figures of 67,834 registered in the same period last year while Maldivian tourist arrivals also increased from 9,817 to 19,245, a 96 percent increase. 

Visitors from European countries such as Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Britain and Germany and from Australia declined by 15 percent said the tourist board. In contrast, arrivals from Denmark, France and Norway increased during the period. 

Britain and Germany had been among the highest revenue generating markets for Sri Lanka and a decline in this area would have a negative impact on the sector, according to the tourist board. 

In 2004, total tourist arrivals passed the 500,000 mark and the figure is expected to increase even further this year. 

Indo-Asian News Service