China supports the resurgence of tourism in Sri Lanka
China remains Sri Lanka’s main market, bringing a huge amount of tourists every year and causing a considerable effect on the foreign inflows. As of June this year, the number of travelers to Sri Lanka was 1,008,449, of which 97,560 were Chinese visitors. China will accept the free visa on arrival, extended to China and other nations, and all the other tour packages announced by Sri Lanka to encourage tourism.
Tourism implies a lot for Sri Lanka as it is a significant economic contributor. Sri Lanka reported income of around 2.3 million tourists last year, earning around US$ 4.3 billion. According to the Department of Statistics in Sri Lanka, over 280,000 Chinese tourists arrived in Sri Lanka last year. The relationship between the two nations dates back to around 1,600 years ago when itinerant Chinese Buddhist monks Fa-Hsien arrived.
Sri Lanka and China have had a powerful bilateral relationship, with both nations supporting each other in different industries. Sri Lanka promotes China’s Belt and Road Initiative to build important development projects in Sri Lanka. Further, Head of Worldwide Sales at SriLankan Airlines, Dimuthu Tennakoon has said that the airline has begun discussions with Sichuan Airlines and Xiamen Airlines to start direct flights to Sri Lanka.
Also, the national carrier explores the option of flying as a long-term plan to Chengdu. In 2004, SriLankan Airlines introduced three flights to China and now operates fifteen flights to Beijing. The Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion Bureau revealed that after the catastrophic attack on April 21, Sri Lanka has not lost any of its beauty and remains a top destination for many tour operators to date.
OSL Take:
The tourism industry in Sri Lanka has many appealing packages and deals for international travelers on offer. The country also maintains the top slot in several leading global travel publications in the list of travel destinations. All of this has led to increased company opportunities in the tourism industry in Sri Lanka. The launch of projects in Sri Lanka has already been announced by several internationally recognized leisure brands.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/26082019/Z_T1 |