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Tourism picks up in first quarter

by Tharika Goonathilake

Neither the SARS epidemic nor the fallout from the Iraq war has deterred tourists from visiting the country with 40,818 arrivals for March, a 29.5 per cent increase from 33,084 arrivals for the corresponding period last year.

The ongoing peace initiative and the conducive environment created for travel, sans SARS health risks so far are the key factors for the increase in arrivals," Tourist Board Chairman Paddy Withana told the `Daily News' yesterday.

"Despite initial fears on the possible negative effects of the Iraq war and subsequently the SARS epidemic, the industry has been resilient," the Chairman said. According to him, the first three months of the year has also recorded an increase in arrivals in comparison to 2002. Statistics by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board reveal 40,647 arrivals in January this year as against 28,296 arrivals last year. Similarly, February has recorded 39,081 arrivals this year in comparison to 31,683 arrivals in 2002.

A significant feature of the increased tourist traffic is arrivals from hitherto slump markets of Western Europe with an increase in the traffic from France, Switzerland, Italy, U.K and Germany. Withana said that health risks in popular travel destinations such as Hong Kong and China, has also resulted in tourists looking Sri Lanka's way.

"Stringent and timely counteraction has helped Sri Lanka avert a crisis and has given the traveller the necessary assurance to consider Sri Lanka as an alternative destination."

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