Sri Lanka expects to earn USD 850 million from tourists in 2011 with annual arrivals expected to reach 830,000 an increase of 26 per cent from 2010 and the industry targeted a billion dollars next year, officials said. Lakshman Abeywardene, Deputy Economic Development Minister, Govt of Sri Lanka said by
December 23, 2011; 819,500 tourists had arrived in Sri Lanka, higher than a 750,000 annual target for the year. "We expect about 830,000 tourists to come by the end of the year," Anura Lokuhetty, Chairman of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka said. "Earnings from tourist will be about USD 850 million." Lokuhetty said that on average, tourists were spending more than 100 dollars a day this year. By November 2011 Sri Lanka had welcomed 758,458 tourists, with earnings of USD 735.7 million. In 2010 Sri Lanka's tourism receipts were estimated at USD 576 million with total arrivals of 654,476, according to a Lanka Business Online report. Abeywardene said Sri Lanka expected earnings from tourism to reach a billion dollars in 2012. Sri Lanka is targeting 950,000 tourists next year. But there are fears that visa free arrivals ends from January, which could hurt arrivals from traditional markets, especially from India. Analysts say East Asian nations saw a steep growth in tourism after ASEAN visa free travel was introduced.
Click here to see the original article>December 23, 2011; 819,500 tourists had arrived in Sri Lanka, higher than a 750,000 annual target for the year. "We expect about 830,000 tourists to come by the end of the year," Anura Lokuhetty, Chairman of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka said. "Earnings from tourist will be about USD 850 million." Lokuhetty said that on average, tourists were spending more than 100 dollars a day this year. By November 2011 Sri Lanka had welcomed 758,458 tourists, with earnings of USD 735.7 million. In 2010 Sri Lanka's tourism receipts were estimated at USD 576 million with total arrivals of 654,476, according to a Lanka Business Online report. Abeywardene said Sri Lanka expected earnings from tourism to reach a billion dollars in 2012. Sri Lanka is targeting 950,000 tourists next year. But there are fears that visa free arrivals ends from January, which could hurt arrivals from traditional markets, especially from India. Analysts say East Asian nations saw a steep growth in tourism after ASEAN visa free travel was introduced.