Sri Lanka to woo more Indian travellers; expects 4.50 lakh tourists

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is expecting a healthy growth in the number of Indian tourists arrivals this year, as the island nation is out to woo travellers even from smaller cities. Sri Lanka has seen a substantial growth in tourist arrivals from India last year, with over 3.84 lakh travellers. Currently, India is the number one country in terms of tourist arrivals, followed by China, UK and Germany. Some of the most popular destinations in Sri Lanka include Kandy, Colombo and Bentota.

Kandy, Srilanka

“This year we are targeting 4.50 lakh tourists from India,” said Viranga Bandara, Assistant Director-Marketing, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. “Currently we get most of the tourists from the metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai, but we are also targeting smaller cities,” he said.

Upekkha Samaratunga, Minister (Commercial), Sri Lanka High Commission in New Delhi, said, “We look forward to have travellers from India throughout the year, irrespective of the season. Most Indians like to travel short distances on a competitive budget. In that context, Sri Lanka is becoming a favourite destination. However, we are also targeting the high-end tourists from other parts of India, including Chandigarh and neighbouring towns like Ludhiana.”

Bentota Beach, Sri Lanka

“As of food, our cuisines are very similar to that of South Indian food. We use a lot of coconut in our preparations, like south Indians. Sri Lankan cinnamon, pepper and other products are also quite popular among Indians. Through tourism, we are expecting to expand our trade relations as well, as India is our key trading partner,” she added.