Tourists from Middle East to Sri Lanka Doubled in January 2010. Strongest Growth from Qatar, then UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait

08th April 2010, firstlanka.com

The sources of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority show that the number of tourists from the Middle East to Sri Lanka doubled in January 2010, when compared to the same month in the previous year.
The strongest growth has been registered from Qatar, which was up 171 percent, followed by the UAE (164 percent), Saudi Arabia (127 percent), and Kuwait (135 percent).

Heba Al Ghais Al Mansoori, Middle East Director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau said that early indications pointed to double-digit growth” for the number of visitors from the region holidaying on this South Asian island this year.

“Sri Lanka is ideally positioned as a destination to attract more regional travellers despite the credit crunch as stability has finally dawned on Sri Lanka with the war coming to an end and the destination offers very good value for money,” Al Mansoori further stated.

Sri Lanka - Kuwait Investment Protection Treaty

05th November 2009, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka and Kuwait has signed an Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement (IPPA) Thursday between the island's envoy to the country and a senior finance ministry official of the Gulf state, the foreign ministry said.

Sri Lanka's foreign ministry quoted the undersecretary to the Kuwaiti ministry of finance Khalifa M Hamada as saying that the end of a war in Sri Lanka will open new investment opportunities in the island.

Sri Lanka envoy Sarath Dissanayake had said there was potential in tourism, hospitality, construction, infrastructure and agriculture.

The foreign ministry said negotiations for the IPPA had been held until June 2009.