http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/06/22/news21.asp
'Tourism boom takes economy to new heights'
Sri Lanka's booming tourist industry is having a major impact in changing the nature of the economy in the post conflict development process.
Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa launched short term and long term programmes with the objective of developing the tourism industry after the end of the war in 2009, states an Economic Development Ministry press release .
Minister Basil Rajapaksa
The release : 'As a result of these new initiatives, Sri Lanka is currently experiencing a tourism boom.
Many top level economists expect that this positive growth will spread to other economic sectors and result in improving the country's macro-economic performance.
Sri Lanka attracted 327,902 tourists during the first five months of the 2011, compared to 233,922 tourists in the first five months of 2010, a 40.2 percent increase on year on year basis. Tourist arrivals increased by 46.1 percent in 2010 to 654,476 from 447,890 in 2009 surpassing all the previous arrival records.
Investments in the tourism sector accounted for US$ 132 million during the first quarter of 2011. This is the highest ever quarterly FDI inflow into Sri Lanka for tourist sector. Direct employment in the tourism sector increased to 72,899 by the end of 2010 from 52,071 in 2009, while indirect employment increased from 55,023 in 2009 to 77,032 in 2010.
Total income from tourism increased to US$ 575.09 million in 2010 from US$ 349.03 million in 2009.
The results of the tourism boom include increased FDI, higher employment and a growth in revenue, which will have a positive impact on all other sectors of the economy. Additional demand generated by the tourism sector in the economy will result in increased supply of services and production in other sectors.
Refurbishment of hotels, building of new hotels, revival of traditional handicraft industries and cottage industries etc indicate the spread of the impact of tourism sector to other economic sectors. Demand for aviation, airport, ticketing, transport service, leisure has been increased tremendously as a result of this tourism boom.
Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa launched a home stay and boutique hotel programme. Rural youth training programmes for tourist sector, handicraft and cottage industry development programme and village tour and stay (Grama Charika) programme for the tourist sector in order to percolate the benefits of tourism to the lower segment of society.'
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