Tourism industry to create 350,000 new employment opportunities

Arabian Travel Mart begins in Dubai :

Shirajiv SIRIMANE in Dubai

Tourism industry would create 350, 000 new employment opportunities by 2016 bring ing the total number of employees in the industry to 850,000.

Anura Lokuhetty with M. M. Abdul Raheem Consulate General of Sri Lanka for Dubai and Northern Emirates

The Ceylon Tea pavillion at AT M

The revenue generated from the leisure sector in 2016 will pass the US $ three billion mark also during the same period said Chairman, Serene Pavilion, Anura Lokuhetty. Speaking to Daily News after the opening ceremony of the Arabian Travel Mart. He said that the country would attract 2.5 million tourists by 2016 and to meet their requirements 45, 000 rooms are needed. Currently Sri Lanka has 25,000 rooms and approvals are given to build a further 9,000 rooms.

“Another 9,000 rooms are needed and this is an opportunity for entrepreneurs,” he said.

Meanwhile the Consulate General of Sri Lanka for Dubai and Northern Emirates, M. M. Abdul Raheem said that Gulf arrivals to Sri Lanka is expected to touch the six figure mark for the first time in the history,

(100,000) by the end of this year. “Last year 55,000 Gulf tourists visited Sri Lanka and this year this number would almost double,” he predicted.

UAE had the highest number of visitors ( 12,500) to Sri Lanka last year. Raheem said that one of the biggest advantages of Sri Lanka is the availability of eight direct flights per day which includes three low cost airlines (Mihin, Fly Dubai and Air Arabia) as well.

He said that political stability, peace and bio diversification are the key points that attracts Gulf tourists to Sri Lanka. He also said that

the Gulf tourists also feel at home in Sri Lanka since there are halal certified hotels, Mosques and there are no restrictions to wear Abaya (Kuruka). He identified Nuwara Eliya and Kandy as some of the most visited places of Arabian tourists

He said that he was happy to note that the Sri Lankan tourism sector stake holders have realized the potential of the Gulf market and this was the reason for 52 companies to attend this year's event, a record in itself. The World Tourism Organization reckons that an additional two million Arabs will travel abroad within the next twenty years, taking its total of outbound tourists to 37 million, spending an estimated $ 20 billion and accounting for 2.2% of global outbound travel, a rise of 0.7%.

The four day Arabian Travel Mart which began yesterday would conclude on May 3.