Do More With Reuters
Partner Services

Sri Lanka May tourist arrivals up 18.4 pct vs yr ago

Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:59pm IST
 
Email | Print | | Single Page
[-] Text [+]

COLOMBO, June 11 (Reuters) - The number of tourists arriving in Sri Lanka in May rose 18.4 percent from a year earlier, despite security concerns stemming from the country's civil war, officials said on Wednesday.

Arrivals rose to 31,140 from 26,307 a year before, the island's state tourist authority said.

Arrivals in the January-May period rose 1.2 percent to 196,403 from 193,981 a year earlier.

"May was a low month, when we had night curfews in the airport," a top official at Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority told Reuters asking not to be named

Tourist arrivals fell 40 percent in May 2007 due to the night closure of Sri Lanka's only international airport after Tamil Tiger air raids on fuel installations and the air force base adjacent to the airport.

The tourism industry expects arrivals in future to drop because of an upsurge in violence this year from the 25-year civil war between the state and separatist Tamil Tiger guerrillas.

Renton de Alwis, chairman of the Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority Sri Lanka, said: "I don't think these (bombings) would deter people from visiting Sri Lanka. No tourists have been involved in any of these incidences."

At least 32 people have been killed and over 100 wounded in a series of bomb blasts targeting civilians in two commuter buses and two trains in capital Colombo and central Sri Lanka during rush hours since May 26.

The Tourism Development Authority said arrivals from the Middle East rose 78.1 percent in the January to May period compared with a year earlier.  Continued...

Russian Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin poses with his G20 colleagues and central bank leaders during the family photo at the G20 Finance Ministers meeting at a hotel in St. Andrews, Scotland. REUTERS/POOL New
Pledge to support economies

G20 financial leaders pledged to prepare strategies to end emergency support for their economies, but to keep the aid flowing until recovery was assured.  Full Article | Related Story 

special coverage

Photo
Central Banks Cautious

Reuters tracks the policies of the world's top central banks as the debate over global economic recovery rages on.  Full Coverage 

Market Update

  • IndiaIndia
  • USUS
  • UKUK
  • Asia
  • Most Actives

SHOWCASE

Sanjay Sinha
Balancing Act

In India, it is a tough choice between growth, managing inflation and financial stability.  Full Article 

 
Nipun Mehta
Road to Recovery

There needs to be an acceptable balance created between education and healthcare and infrastructure spend, says Nipun Mehta of SG Private Banking.   Full Article 

 
Robot Asimo

Snapshots of Honda Motor's humanoid robot Asimo  Slideshow 

 
Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy

Companies are now using direct marketing methods to sell their products.  Full Article 

 
Exit Plans
Exit Plans

Factbox - Stimulus exit plans for Asia-Pacific's big 5 economies  Full Article