Sri Lanka confident of 2005 bounce back

Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) Director General Mr Seenivasagam Kalaiselvam expressed his confidence in Sri Lanka's recovery at this week's Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the Middle East's leading travel industry event.
Mr Kalaiselvam said the number of tourists from the Middle East has met - and may even exceed - last year's arrivals, despite the December 26 tsunami.

'The global support of the industry and the success of the 'Bounce Back Sri Lanka' campaign have played an important part,' Mr Kalaiselvam said.

'The reality of the situation is that only fifteen percent of the island was affected - Sri Lanka's beautiful tea plantations, World Heritage sites, botanical gardens and unique wildlife remain untouched,' he said.

'At ATM, SLTB will be working with our industry partners in a collective push to showcase the island's diverse beauty, and the magical experiences Sri Lanka has to offer,' Mr Kalaiselvam said.

'The island's mix of high-end properties, private retreats and rural tranquility, coupled with the vibrancy of the capital Colombo, are all within easy reach of many Middle East capitals,' said the Director-General.

Sri Lanka enhanced its reputation as a luxury destination recently, with its ranking in prestigious US-based Conde Naste Traveler's Hot List 2005.

He said that soon after the tsunami, tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka dropped but now recovery was fast being felt, with occupancy levels increasing in the popular inland areas of Kandy, Dambulla and Colombo.

More than 95 per cent of beach hotels, which were worst hit in the tsunami, are now averaging 40 percent occupancy, whilst some hotels were actually experiencing up to 80 percent occupancy.
'Usually in January and February, Sri Lanka has around 2,800 arrivals per day. However, this dropped to around 1,400 per day in the first two months,' Mr Kalaiselvam said.

'The island is recovering fast, tourist arrivals are picking up and we are confident that Sri Lanka can reach 600,000 tourist arrivals by the end of 2005,' he said.

'At present, tourism is our fourth-largest industry - by 2007 we hope it will be our biggest,' he added.

Mr Kalaiselvam said that the SLTB, together with national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines (SLA) had launched a series of promotions for the Middle East and key target markets.

'Special marketing promotions, familiarisation tours for media and some major international festivals in Sri Lanka have also been organised,' he said.

Mr Kalaiselvam highlighted the fact that ATM 2005 provided a valuable platform for the SLTB to promote the island nation's rich heritage and charm, adding that Sri Lanka had made a major impact at world trade fairs World Travel Market (UK) and ITB (Berlin) earlier this year.

'Trade events provide us with a key opportunity to show that Sri Lanka has so many unique attractions to offer. Within a few hours of the coast are the cultural triangle, the tea gardens, the hill country, the national parks and heritage sights - a chance to discover the country's 2,500 year-old history.'

'Our hope is not only that travellers will return soon, but also that they will look beyond the beaches,' he said.