SL tourism revenue over $1bln as millionth tourist arrives
View(s):Sri Lanka’s millionth tourist in a calendar year – a Chinese national – arrived in the country last Sunday and was given a warm welcome at the airport.
Lakshman Yapa Abeywardhana, Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism (SLT) – Bhashwara Gunarathna, Kamal Ratwattea – Deputy Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services Ltd, Managing Director of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) – Rumy Jauffer, Jayantha Kehelpannala- President, Tourist Hotel Association of Sri Lanka, Nilmin Nanayakkara – Board Member (SLTPB), Zerney Packeer – Vice President, Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Travel Agents and Mervin Fernandopulle – Board Member – SLTPB were among those at the airport to welcome Ms. Jiang Ying and her husband Yang Bo.
SLT said in a media statement that the couple’s next stay in Sri Lanka would be a free holiday.
“I had heard a lot about Sri Lanka from my friends. I found out details about your country before deciding my holiday destination. I was simply bewitched by the photos on the Internet,” Ms Ying said, adding: “Sri Lanka is as beautiful and breathtaking as presented in the photos. Moreover, Sri Lankans are very hospitable and kind.”
SLT said it passed its 2012 target of 950,000 arrivals and noted that in 2013 – while working towards reaching 1.2 million in arrivals – plans to participate in 36 major travel fairs of the world.
Also included in this year’s agenda is planned visits by 200 foreign journalists from leading magazines and television channels around the world.
SLT is also starting a promotional campaign with British Airways which is resuming flights to Colombo in March.
The couple flew on SriLankan Airlines which said, in a separate statement, that visitors from China have grown tremendously over the past three years. SriLankan operates a total of 17 flights per week to Beijing, Shanghai, Canton and Hong Kong. ‘Discovering the new peaceful Sri Lanka, will undoubtedly be a pleasant experience, particularly for the first time travellers here and it is my fervent wish that visitors not only enjoy the diversity of this land but also experience the hospitality and friendship of the people here,” noted Nishantha Wickremasinghe, Chairman, SriLankan Airlines.
The national airline carried over half the total inbound traffic to Sri Lanka last year.
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