Sri Lanka is witnessing a surge in visitor numbers from the Middle East, following the end of the civil war last year.
According to statistics from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Middle East tourist arrivals grew 50 percent in January 2010 compared to the same period last year, with the UAE showing the strongest growth (up by 164 percent), followed by Saudi Arabia (up 127 percent), Qatar (up 171%) and Kuwait (up 135%).
“Sri Lanka is an exotic locale and peace has finally brought prosperity and development into the country and opened up more areas for tourism development which otherwise were not accessible during the war,” said Heba Al Ghais Al Mansoori, Middle East director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board (SLTPB).
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"At the beginning there were many challenges like the war, and Sri lanka was not known as a destination for Arab travellers but we have had fam trips for VIPS from the Arab world and they saw how they can explore the country and the growth is massive now for the UAE."
Al Mansoori said there were a number of reasons why the destination was growing so fast in popularity among GCC nationals.
“In the past it used to be Europe and the Far East that were very popular with Arabs but after 9/11 Arabs started to find new destinations where they can be welcomed and feel comfortable with their family and not have hassle at the airport. Sri Lanka is one of these destinations. Also it’s a very short haul destination. You can fly from Dubai to Colombo in four hours.”
Shiran A Perera, country manager, UAE, Sri Lankan Airlines added that Sri Lanka was becoming one of the top outbound destinations for travellers from this region.
“You’ll find most of the outbound travel agents here are selling Sri Lanka. With the conflict in the country coming to an end, it gives us immense potential to grow the business further. What amazes the Arab community here is the greenery and the waterways. We have daily flights from Dubai, and from Abu Dhabi and we have a growing number of tourists joining our flights to Sri Lanka from the UAE. Per week there are nearly 50 direct flights from the UAE to Sri Lanka from all carriers.
There is a growth in demand and more airlines are queing up to come to Sri Lanka which shows its potential as a destination.”
The Sri Lannka Tourism Promotion Bureau has launched a Sri Lankan food festival in partnership with Renaissance Hotel Dubai to raise awareness about Sri Lankan cuisine.
The festival will run from April 7 to 21.
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