SRI LANKA HOPEFUL OF EXCEEDING TOURISM TARGETS

Shirajiv Sirimane in ITB Berlin

SRI LANKA Tourist Board (SLTB) Chairman Udaya Nanayakkara expressed hope that the number of tourists arriving in Sri Lanka this year will exceed the previous year's arrivals in spite of the set back due to the December 26 tsunami.

Addressing the media at the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin, Germany he said that soon after the tsunami, tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka dropped.

"Usually in January and February, Sri Lanka has around 2,800 arrivals per day. However, this dropped to around 1,400 per day in the first two months. With the country recovering fast, arrivals are picking up once again and we are confident that Sri Lanka can pass the 600,000 arrival mark by the end of 2005," he said.

Sri Lanka's tourist arrival projections for 2004 were 550,000.

He said that SLTB together with national carrier SriLankan Airlines had launched a series of promotions for the Asian and European markets.

"Special marketing promotions, familiarisation tours for travel journalists and international festivals in Sri Lanka have also been organised," Nanayakkara said.

He told the international media that no diseases spread in Sri Lanka after the tsunami and 95 per cent of hotels damaged were back in operation.

Manager, Corporate Communications, SriLankan Airlines Chandana de Silva said Germany had always been an important destination for the national carrier.

"We are experiencing an increase of traffic to Sri Lanka from Germany," he said.

He said the airline's domestic operations have not been curtailed.

"It is very popular and we are looking at operating to new destinations in Sri Lanka,'' he said.

Tourism Ministry Secretary Dr. Pratap Ramunujam explained measures taken by the government to provide soft loans, duty free facilities and other incentives to revive the industry.

Director SLTB Frankfurt, Channa Jayasinghe also participated.