Sri Lanka woos tourists from Gulf

Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka is aiming for a 20 per cent increase in international tourist arrivals in 2008 led by visitors from the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries, the country's deputy minister of tourism said.

There were around 30,000 visitors, including expatriates, from the Middle East countries to the island nation last year, Faiszer Musthapha told Gulf News in an interview.

"We are focusing on the high potential of the Middle East market as this is one market where we have done little or no marketing. Last year, about 7,000 tourists came to Sri Lanka from the UAE. This year, we are targeting more than 10,000 tourists from the UAE," Musthapha said.

"The segment of tourist arrivals from the Middle East should grow by at least 50 per cent this year," he added.

He said the visitors from the Middle East generally come with families and statistics show that they are bigger spenders and duration of their stay is longer.

"Their disposable income is higher and we want such high-end visitors to our country," said Musthapha. Some 500,000 foreign tourists visited Sri Lanka last year despite reports of conflicts in the country.

Tourism contributes about four per cent to Sri Lanka's gross domestic product (GDP) and the revenue generated from foreign tourists is a major source of foreign exchange for that country. Since 1983, as many as five million foreign tourists have visited Sri Lanka.

Musthapha said besides the Middle East, Sri Lanka is trying to woo tourists from countries in Eastern Europe, Russia and Britain.

"We currently have more than 1,000 luxury rooms available across Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Dambulla. There are going to be many more soon, as boutique hotels are coming up in the country which will have rooms and suites in the price range of $250-$1,000," he said.