Increased interest from Europe helped prop tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka this November up to 167,217, a growth of 16 percent year-on-year (YOY), which would still be inadequate to reach the ambitious government targets set for 2016.
Unlike the corresponding month last year, when it took over the top spot as a regional market, South Asia was pushed down to the second largest regional market with 46,319 tourists, growing at 12.1 percent YOY.
Indian visitor levels grew by just 2.8 percent YOY to 30,148, while arrivals from the Maldives increased 21.5 percent YOY to 9,948 tourists. Arrivals from Pakistan grew 41.3 percent YOY to 2,869 tourists.
Arrivals from East Asia increased 12.7 percent YOY to 31,586 tourists, with Chinese arrivals growing just 10.5 percent YOY to 18,590 tourists after experiencing double that growth throughout the rest of 2016. The Japanese market expanded 7.5 percent YOY to 2,702 visitors.
Source : http://epaper.dailymirror.lk/epaper/viewer.aspx
Sri Lanka Travel Feneteko