Sri Lanka targeting Emiratis

Sri Lanka is planning to bring in more tourists fom Middle East. The island nation received a total of 107,635 tourists from the Middle East region in 2017, up 6.5 per cent compared to 2016.

As part of efforts to boost visitor numbers from the GCC, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has unveiled its diverse product offerings and experience spread across the small island.

“Sri Lanka has much to offer visitors from the region with our distinctive, adventure-packed, eco-friendly, family-focused experiences and offerings, as well as our rich nature, heritage and culture, year-round schedule of festivals and special events, numerous parks and eco centers, luxury resorts and wellness centres, and romantic settings for honeymooners and couples. Our mission has done much to put Sri Lanka on the map and in the hearts and minds of Middle East-based travel partners, and in combination with future promotions planned for the country and the region, I’m confident we will see many more visitors from the region making Sri Lanka their next holiday destination of choice in the coming months,” said John Amaratunga, Minister of Tourism.

At present, there are 70 direct flight services a week connecting UAE to Sri Lanka, suggesting the potential to grow and develop the market further is great, especially as travellers from the country on average have one of the highest travel spends in the world.

“The Middle East continues to be one of the fastest growing source markets for Sri Lanka. We believe that the potential of the Middle Eastern travel market is yet to realise in terms of attracting longer stay and higher spending travellers,” said Sutheash Balasubramaniam, Managing Director, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.