Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka remain high in June despite Covid 19 third wave
Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka in June have reportedly increased by 7% to 1,614 from May, despite the travel restrictions that were imposed due to the third wave of the Covid 19 pandemic.
The increase was largely influenced by the tour of French naval personnel and officers, under strict bio-secure travel bubble conditions, according to local media reports.
Arrivals in the first six months had amounted to 16,808, a welcome development since the reopening of borders on 21 January but down by 97% from last year’s first half, the Daily FT has reported.
In June, the largest source markets were France (654), China (176) and Germany (131), according to the data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).
However, during the first half of the year, Kazakhstan was the largest source of tourist traffic to Sri Lanka, with 19% of the total traffic received, whilst Ukraine accounted for 16%, and Germany, China and India accounted for 9%, 7% and 6% respectively, the news report has further stated.
Europe became the largest source region with 11,916 travellers of the total traffic received in the first half of the year, whilst Asia and Pacific and the Americas accounted for 3,254 and 1,334 tourists respectively, reports have further stated.
According to reports, the gradual prominence of the Kazakhstan market is noteworthy as arrivals from Kazakhstan in the first half of the year had recorded a 37% growth in comparison to total arrivals in the same period a year earlier. Kazakhstan had reportedly also led arrivals in the first half with 3,188, as a result of a pilot project carried out to revive the industry following a 10-month pandemic-induced closure and commencement of regular flights by its national carrier.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry was one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the country when the global Covid 19 pandemic brought about global travel restrictions. However, the industry is showing signs of recovery after the re-opening of borders early this year. Tourist arrivals to the country albeit being low in comparison to pre-Covid periods, has shown a steady increase. With Sri Lanka’s airports receiving the internationally recognised safety and hygiene certifications, the island is fast becoming an attractive travel destination in post Covid travel. Sri Lanka has been listed as a must visit destination by several leading global travel publications and the continuous promotions carried out by the country’s tourism authorities showcasing new concepts of tourism tied to the island have provided a further boost to the sector. Sri Lanka’s ongoing development programme has also attracted the attention of foreign businesses/investors. All this has resulted in several international hospitality brands expressing interest in entering the country. Foreign businesses/investors could therefore confidently explore business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/09072021/Z_3 |