Sri Lanka sees business return

(28 April 2005)

Tourism to Sri Lanka is virtually back to normal following the Boxing Day tsunami.

Business was down by 23% for January, according to tourism officials, when holidaymakers stayed away from the island following the disaster. However, Sri Lankan minister for tourism Anura Bandaranike said a dedicated marketing drive has helped trade bounce back.

Bandaranike admitted the industry may have been “a little slow” in dealing with the drop-off in tourism. “The tsunami was a shock and it took us some time to recover,” he said.

To reverse the decline, a series of marketing initiatives were launched, including a high-profile Sri Lankan Airlines campaign in February offering two flights to the island for the price of one, while close work with operators to lower prices also enticed holidaymakers to return.

March was the first time since the tsunami that sales figures returned to normal compared with the same period last year.

Tourism is the island’s fourth biggest industry generating $212 million last year alone while British visitors are the country’s number one market, with 106,000 visiting last year.