Sri Lanka tourist arrivals plunge 30 per cent in June
Monday, 16 July 2007
COLOMBO, July 15 (AFP): Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka plunged 30 per cent in June compared to a year ago as fighting escalated in the country's bitter ethnic war, the tourism board said today.
Months of heavy fighting mainly in the north and east, but also attacks near the capital and the international airport saw tourist arrivals fall to 30,810 in June, compared to 44,066 last year despite sharp discount offers from hotels.
For the first six months of the year, overall tourist arrivals are down nearly 25 per cent to 224,791 visitors, compared to the same period a year earlier, the Sri Lanka Tourism board said.
At the same time tourism earnings, a key source of foreign currency for the island nation, have declined 14.8 per cent to 130.8 million dollars in the first four months of the year.
Months of heavy fighting mainly in the north and east, but also attacks near the capital and the international airport saw tourist arrivals fall to 30,810 in June, compared to 44,066 last year despite sharp discount offers from hotels.
For the first six months of the year, overall tourist arrivals are down nearly 25 per cent to 224,791 visitors, compared to the same period a year earlier, the Sri Lanka Tourism board said.
At the same time tourism earnings, a key source of foreign currency for the island nation, have declined 14.8 per cent to 130.8 million dollars in the first four months of the year.