Colombo University draws up plan to woo Chinese tourists

Priyanka Kurugala

China is a most potential venue to develop tourism in Sri Lanka. According to statistics it has the second largest economy in the world. It is expected to be 80 mn outbound tourists in 2013. In 2012 this number is 78.4mn. Now the country's authority has paid attention to develop tourism in many ways.

The Colombo University with the Economic Development Ministry and Tourists Board have drawn up plans to turn out tourists from China to Sri Lanka in the near future. It would be generated under the next few years tourism developing project. Conducting a survey, the Colombo University Economics Department has collected many details on how to develop tourism in the country.

Within three months they were able to collect details in this regard. Students in Economics Department in the Colombo University had interviewed many foreign tourists in the country. They studied on the subject through local parties who have joined the sector tourism by now. Some of them are officers and some others are from a local community.

Colombo University Economics Department's Dr D.A.C. Suranga Silva explained in many ways what are the targets and what are the ways to reach in tourism as a country Sri Lanka. China, has spent $ 73 billion in 2012. Estimated expenditure of outbound tourists, is said to be the third largest in the world.

According to Dr Silva, growth of tourists from 2012- 2013 (Jan-May) in China to Sri Lanka is 65 percent. Just Nearly 2-3 percent tourists from China, expecting Sri Lanka out of their total outbound tourists.

"This number is very small when it is comparing China outbound tourism," he said. "That is what our main target in this regard is China, he said.

During last year around 22,000 tourists visited from China to Sri Lanka. From 2011 to 2012 growth rate is more than 46 percent. By now Sri Lanka's goal to attract tourists from China to Sri Lanka is 60,000 in 2013.

There are many steps have to be taken to develop tourism and increase supply for tourism in many ways. Developing infrastructure facilities for the Country's second international airport at Mattala, continued expansion of Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), facilitating and initiating global publicity for Sri Lanka in key target markets overseas, supporting international events in tourism, sports and MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions) will be most important steps in this regard.

According to Dr. Silva mainly from the Government side developing the Bandaranaike International Airport commenced it's the second phase of expansion project in 2012.

As next step the $350 million expansion scheme will include widening of the existing runway and taxiways to accommodate large Airbus A 380 aircraft.