More tourists from India

Anjana GAMAGE

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has recorded an upsurge in tourist arrivals from India in the first quarter of this year according to the statistics presented by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB). Tourist arrivals from India during the first quarter of 2006 has been recorded at 33,704.

"India continued to be the prime tourist generating market to Sri Lanka as usual.

The total tourist arrivals to the country during January to March is 33,704 and it is an increase of 31.9 per cent as against 25,551 in 2005.

During March 2006 Indian tourist arrivals was 13,159 only and it is an increase of 12.7 per cent as against the previous year," said SLTB Director General S. Kalaiselvam.

The United Kingdom was the second largest tourist generating market. Tourist arrivals from UK during the first quarter has been recorded at 24,302, as against 19,671 during the first quarter of 2005.

During March, tourist arrivals from UK were 8,178, an increase of 2.4 per cent as against the same period of previous year.

India, UK, Germany, France, USA, Maldives, Netherlands, Australia, Japan and China are the top 10 tourist generating markets to Sri Lanka based on the statistics of the first quarter tourist arrivals to the country.

Due to the substantial increase in tourist arrivals from China, it has now merged as one of the top ten markets of Sri Lanka. During the first quarter of 2006, 4,419 tourists arrived from China - it was only 1, 584 during the same period last year.

According to the SLTB sources, Sri Lanka received 113,000 Indian tourists to the country in 2005.

The SLTB has decided to go ahead with several marketing and promotional activities including a Sri Lankan Tea festival in India this year with a Rs. 50 million budget.