Sri Lanka reaches750,000 tourists level this week

Sri Lanka reached its annual 2011 target of 750,000 on Thursday – more than five weeks before the year is over – while the number of tourists by end 2011 is expected to reach 800,000, Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Nalaka Godahewa said.

He told the Business Times that this year growth would 22 % up from last year, much higher than tourist growth across the world and in Asia and the Pacific.

Revenue is also set to reach US$800 million this year. World Trade Organisation (WTO) projections for growth in 2011 in Asia and the Pacific is 9% and in the world, 5 %. Sri Lanka is aiming to reach 2.5 million tourists by 2016.