Sri Lanka woos Indian tourists |
Sri Lanka government expects 400 thousand visitors from India in 2019 as it lines up discounts, events and aggressive marketing campaigns. These measures are being planned as the country recovers from April 21 terror attacks at Colombo hotels and churches which killed over 250 people and crippled its tourism sector. The government has announced discount offers which will make Sri Lankan holidays 50-60 per cent cheaper for Indian tourists. The packages will be offered by Sri Lankan Airlines in partnership with local hotels and tour operators. India is the largest source market for Sri Lanka which received 2.3 million tourists last year. Around 425,000 Indians visited the country in 2018. But after the attack, hotel occupancies fell as arrivals shrank 70 per cent in May. Sri Lanka Tourism Authority is now wooing tourists following withdrawal of security advisories by twelve countries including India. Arrivals this year from India are expected to be 5-6 per cent lower compared to last year. Overall arrivals are expected to be around 2 million in 2019. The security situation in the country has improved and normalcy has been restored.
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