76.6 per cent rise in Chinese tourists in 2006

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka recorded a 76.6 per cent increase in Chinese tourist arrivals in the first 10 months of 2006 while during 2005, there had been 9,668 Chinese visitors to Sri Lanka with a growth rate of 6.4 per cent, sources said.

The Sri Lanka Tourist Board also participated for the sixth year at the China International Travel Mart 2006, the largest travel show organised by the China National Tourism Administration and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and General Administration of Civil Aviation of China from November 16 to 19 in Shanghai.

Ninety countries representing Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia participated with 34 Chinese provinces and autonomous states. Among the Asian countries were India, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Over 3,000 Chinese trade buyers and overseas visitors attended the travel mart during the first two days and had attracted over 200,000 potential public during the last two days.

The main objective of Sri Lankan participation at this fair was to create awareness among the Chinese travelling public in Shanghai about Sri Lanka to attract more visitors during the Chinese New Year in early February and also to create a platform for Sri Lanka agents to meet with the Chinese agents to contract business deals.