Sri Lanka will add 45,000 luxury hotel rooms by the end first quarter of next year said the Minister of Tourism John Amaratunge. “Many hotels are being built. By the first quarter of next year 45,000 hotel rooms will be built in the country,” the Minister told BBC.

Minister Amaratunge said that tourist arrivals, especially from Western Europe, China, Middle East and India, had seen a significant increase.

He said that the tourist arrivals have been steadily increasing since the end of the war and recent data from the Tourist Board has shown that Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals topped 1.8 million in 2015 rising 17.8% compared to 2014.

The Minister has clarified that the arrival numbers do not include the expatriate Sri Lankans, who hold foreign passports. This year’s budget has allocated Rs. 4 billion to promote tourism, said the Minister adding that the government plans to launch a number of programs with the allocation.

Sri Lanka hopes to attract 2.2 million arrivals for 2016 and revenue in the excess of US $ 3.6 million.

Sri Lanka was ranked second among the top 16 places recommended by lifestyle magazine, Conde Nast Traveler while a special edition of the lonely plant magazine 2016 recognizes Sri Lanka as the top 10 destinations to visit in 2016.

Source : http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=2016/01/12/business/lanka-will-add-45000-hotel-rooms-q1-2017-minister