Sri Lanka tourist arrivals down in Sept, Indian arrivals surge

Oct 10, 2017 (LBO) - Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka were down 2.



3 percent to 145,077 in September 2017, the second dip in three months, data showed. The biggest dips were seen in the European and Chinese markets with German arrivals falling 15.1 percent to 8,574 and China down 14.



3 percent to 18,939. France dropped 7.4 percent to 4,637 while visitors from the UK 2.

5 percent to 12,593 and Netherlands was up 31 percent to 3,818 respectively.

Tourists from China during the period of January to September fell 2.1 percent to 208,635 compared to 213,103 during the same period last year.

Arrivals from India grew 26.6 percent in September to 34,481 from a year ago and were up 6.

1 percent to 267,601 so far this year. Overall tourist arrivals saw a dip as in the first four months of the year due to the Bandaranaike International Airport's partial closer. Later it was the floods and the Dengue epidemic that kept the visitors away.

In February and March arrivals were down 0.1 percent and 2.5 percent over the previous year whilst April recorded a welcome growth of 17.

5 percent. May and July figures were also down.



However, overall tourist arrivals in the first nine months were up 3 percent to 1.55 million visitors.