September tourist arrivals up 3.6%; Indian arrivals unchanged

Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka in September were up by a modest 3.6 percent to 148, 499 with the arrivals from India, the largest sourcing market remaining unchanged at 27, 241 visitors. As a result, the total arrivals during the nine months rose 14.6 percent to 1.5 million visitors. 

Sri Lanka targets 2.2 million arrivals this year but the subject minister is confident of even surpassing the number to record 2.5 million tourists 
in 2016. 

The arrivals from China, Sri Lanka’s second largest sourcing market, saw arrivals increasing 7.8 percent from a year ago to 22, 111 arrivals while for the first nine months the arrivals were 213, 103 – an increase of 29.2 percent. Meanwhile, 252, 165 arrivals from India were recorded, making it the top arrivals market for Sri Lanka. 

India, which is the world’s fastest growing large economy and China, the world’s second largest economy, have  fast expanding middle income classes for whom Sri Lanka offers a tranquil travelling destination. But the island nation still lacks diversified offering to cater to the travelers with diverse interests. 

However  in recent times Chinese outbound tourists saw some deceleration as the arrivals to Maldives in July dropped 12.2 percent yoy to 35, 456, hurting the industry and the economy in the archipelago. 
Meanwhile, the arrivals from the United Kingdom – the third largest sourcing market – rose 10.1 percent to 12, 288 from a year ago. 
Despite Britain leaving the European Union which plunged the sterling pound making outbound travelling expensive, the arrivals have remained resilient. 
During the first nine months the total arrivals from Britain rose by 17.3 percent year-on-year (yoy) to 143, 412.  Many economists forecasted the UK economy to sink following Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, which could have had a spill-over effect on Sri Lanka’s tourism.
Meanwhile, the Western European arrivals which includes Britain, in September rose 11.5 percent yoy to 39,956 while during the nine months the arrivals rose 17.5 percent yoy to 485, 623.  
Arrivals from the North American region rose 7.1 percent yoy to 5, 803 while during the first nine months the arrivals rose 18.3 percent yoy to 73, 109. 

The faster rise in arrivals from the Western European and the North American region could be attributable to Asia being a relatively safer region for travelers for American and European tourists amid the back-to-back terrorist attacks in Europe in the recent past. 

Visitors from Russia continued to sink as the arrivals in September dropped 15.6 percent yoy to 2, 353. The nine months arrivals from Russia decreased 15.8 percent yoy to 35, 810. 
Meanwhile the arrivals from the Middle Eastern region decreased 15.9 percent yoy to 11, 560 while for the first nine months the arrivals were 88, 014, an increase of 5.1 percent.