Sri Lankan tourism industry brings in nearly $1 billion dollars so far in 2015

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The first five months of 2015 have seen Sri Lanka’s tourism industry bring in nearly $1 billion in revenue, with record numbers of tourist arrivals also being noted.

According to data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, the first five months of 2015 saw an increase by 14.5% in tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka compared to the percentage of the same period last year. The numbers increased by 26.1% this May compared to the percentage of the same month last year. Statistics reveal that the first five months of this year’s earnings from tourism increased by 13.6 % in Sri Lanka, bringing in a total of $ 956.8 million, according to Sri Lankan newspaper, The Daily FT.

Noting the increase in tourist arrival in Sri Lanka, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Mr. Rohantha Athukorala said that the Ministry of Tourism was committed to balancing growth in arrivals with responsible management of the island’s environment, thereby protecting its rich natural beauty.

Mr. Athukorala highlighted the fact that the arrivals from Eastern Europe had increased by 25.9% in May 2015 when compared to the same period last year, and said that it was a positive development for Sri Lanka considering the economic recession certain countries such as Russia is going through. However, over all so far this year Sri Lanka has seen tourist arrival from Eastern Europe decrease by 13.2%. Tourist arrivals from Western Europe for the month of May marked an increase by 25.8%.

Arrivals increased from East Asia by 33.1% as 23,710 visited the country compared to the 17,812 that visited in May 2014. Arrivals from China increased by 71.9% compared to last year.

Sri Lanka exceeded its target of 1.5 million tourist arrivals last year and earned US$ 2.206 billion from tourism. The Tourism Authority has set a target of reaching 2 million tourist arrivals by the end of this year, 2015, and 2.5 million by the end of next year 2016.

Source: Daily FT and ColomboPage.com

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