SL tourist arrivals drop 22.5% in October 2019

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Colombo, Nov 8 (IANS) The number of international tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka declined for the seventh straight month in October 2019 by 22.5 per cent in comparison to the same period last year while gradually recovering from the plunge following the April 21 Easter Sunday bombings that killed over 250 people.

According to the latest data from the Tourism Ministry, total number of international tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka in October 2019 was 118,743, reports the Colombo Page online daily.

In comparison to October 2018, there was a decline of 22.5% when the arrivals were 153,123.

However, tourist arrivals has been gradually rising following the suicide bomb attacks on churches and hotels in the country on Easter Sunday this year. Year-on-Year tourist arrivals declined 27.7 per cent in September, 28 per cent in August, 46 per cent in July, 57 per cent in June and 70.8 per cent in May this year.

India, China, the UK, Germany and Russia were Sri Lanka's top five international tourist generating markets in the month of October this year.

India was the largest source of tourist traffic to Sri Lanka with 28 per cent of the total traffic received in October 2019. China accounted for 10 per cent of the total traffic; while the UK, Germany and Russia accounted for 7 per cent, 7 per cent and 5 per cent respectively.

As of October 31, 2019, 1,495,055 of tourists had visited Sri Lanka for this year. It is a decline of 20.7 per cent over last year when 1,885,045 of tourists has visited the country during the same period.

Asia and Pacific became the largest source of tourist traffic to Sri Lanka with 56 per cent of the total traffic received in October 2019. Europe accounted for 37 per cent of the total traffic, Americas 5 per cent, Middle East 2 per cent and Africa 0.5 per cent.

--IANS

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