Shopping Around

The tsunami alters tourism industry dynamics in Sri Lanka with more visitors coming for a shopping experience rather than the traditional sun and sand break.







The tsunami alters tourism industry dynamics in Sri Lanka with more visitors coming for a shopping experience rather than the traditional sun and sand break. Analysts from Asia Securities – a local stockbroker - says Sri Lanka is gaining renewed interest as an upcoming shopping destination, with easy access to the cultural triangle, which was not directly affected by the tsunami.

"We believe this has attracted a new breed of travelers, who come for short stays on economical, shopping focused packages," says Asia Securities in a tourism industry report.

Foreign visitors coming into the island of recent prefer to stay at city hotels and go shopping instead of sunbathing in resorts.

Special packages are also pulling in MICE tourists.

But "the traditional leisure segment that frequents the local beach resorts is yet to return to the country, resulting in most beach resorts still having under 50 percent occupancy levels," says Asia Securities.

In this context, an immediate