A Year After the Deadly Tsunami, Sri Lanka´s Travel Industry Stages a Hefty Comeback

Sri Lanka´s tourism industry –a vital contributor to the nation´s economic wellbeing- has rebounded strongly following the devastating effects of the December 2004 tsunami.

In the first nine months of the year, official figures indicate that visitor arrivals have reached 405,585 –an eight percent increase over the same period last year.

Peak tourist season from November to March promises to be another record year, with projections indicating that visitor arrivals will exceed the 500,000 mark for the third consecutive year.

Although traditional European markets are still showing negative growth, other long haul markets and selected regional markets have surprised the tourism experts with steep increases.

The upward arrivals trend this year reflects an interesting shift in the dynamic of Sri Lanka´s traditional tourism markets, to an increase in Asian travelers.

Other regional markets including Australia and New Zealand also grew by 35 percent and 34 percent respectively.

A $320-million-dollar tourism recovery plan initiated by the Sri Lanka government included an extensive infrastructure and construction program, investment in community development and duty waivers for the industry.