TOURIST ARRIVALS UP BY 29% IN AUGUST

The number of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka went up 29.6 % to 72,463 in the month of August 2011, compared to August 2010 which was only 55,898, according to the latest figures released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).


Figures showed an increase in the number of arrivals from Western Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Middle East and North America.


The number of visitors from Western Europe rose by 17.8 percent (30,053) with tourists from France up 42.4 percent (4,166), Belgium up 153.2 percent (962), the number of visitors from Austria is 394 and Germany up 23.3 percent (4,834), according to the SLTDA.


South Asian arrivals continued to grow by 33.8 percent (16,136). India generated 12,857 visitors, an increase of 38.9 percent.


The number of visitors from the Middle-East is 5,150. Arrivals from East Asia increased 48.0 percent (9,963), with Malaysian arrivals to 1,568, and those from Singapore up to 1,297.


Arrivals from Australia went up by 25.4 percent to 3,641 within the month of August 2011. The number of visitors from South Africa went up by 28.3 percent to 195, Policy Research & Information Unit of the Presidential Secretariat reports.