October Tourist Arrivals in Sri Lanka up by 39pct. More Hotel Rooms to be Ready for the Season

18th November 2010, www.dailynews.lk, By Sanjeevi Jayasuriya

The country’s tourism industry is continuing its growth momentum maintaining the upward trend in tourist arrivals.

Tourist arrivals in October recorded 52,370 an increase of 39.38 percent compared to last year’s 37,575 arrivals.

The September arrivals too recorded an increase. The arrivals recorded were 47,339 and 37,983 respectively recording a 24.6 percent increase.

The industry will be able to meet the estimated number of tourist arrivals for 2010 and even could surpass the projected number. There is a 30 to 40 percent cumulative increase of arrivals year on year basis, Tourist Hotels Association Sri Lanka President Anura Lokuhetti told Daily News Business.

“The country will experience a significant winter season. The response from charter operators and tour operators who participated at the recently concluded World Travel Mart is encouraging. They were very keen sending tourists to Sri Lanka,” he said.

The country needs to be ready to face the influx of tourists. The priority should be to increase the room capacity as there could be a major demand increase in the months to come.

The other aspect is the upgrading of existing hotels. The hotels need to be modernized to suit current requirements.

“The tourism industry will be the main engine of growth with the increasing world travel trend.

We need to be competitive and the industry growth will also facilitate by the accelerated infrastructure development that is taking place,” Lokuhetti said.

Related Info:
Tourist Arrivals in Sri Lanka and Tourism Statistics

Visit Sri Lanka 2011 Launched at World Travel Market in London

• 11th November 2010, www.dailynews.lk

Sri Lanka Tourism showcased the best of the country's offers to journalists and the travel trade at the start of this year's mega travel show held annually in London.

At a well-attended World Travel Market press conference, Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Dr Nalaka Godahewa launched the 2011 Visit Sri Lanka campaign, with its theme of eight wonderful experiences in eight days. This year he said it was exciting that more than 50 Sri Lankan hotel and travel companies had committed to attending the event and marketing their products to attendees - the biggest turnout ever.

The Sri Lankan pavilion demanded attention with its banners proclaiming Visit Sri Lanka 2011. It was opened by Sri Lankan High Commissioner in UK Justice Nihal Jayasinghe. Dr Nalaka Godahewa applauded the industry support for the campaign logo and slogan, Refreshingly Sri Lanka.... the Wonder of Asia.

He said the eight different colours of the letters of Sri Lanka in the new logo represented eight different stories:

These are Pristine: beach; Wild: wildlife and nature; Thrills: sports and soft adventure; Scenic: Tea country; Heritage: 2500 years of civilization and eight UNESCO sites: Bliss: Ayurveda and upmarket boutiques for chilling out; Essence: authenticity of people, eco tourism, culture, the arts, shopping and Festive: entertainment of festivals and events and a unique place for weddings. Malraj Kiriella explained that the 12 letters of the Wonder of Asia depict the 12 month calendar of events for the Visit Sri Lanka 2011 Campaign.

"Every month we will be celebrating a different theme. First up is January which will promote beaches at the season's peak. February will feature Sri Lanka co-hosting of ICC matches. March will promote meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, (MICE) combined with the organizing of UNWTO regional commission meeting in Sri Lanka," Kiriella said.