http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=Tourist_arrivals_continue_to_increase_20121026_03

Tourist arrivals continue to increase

Tourism continues to register a steep growth in terms of earning revenue and in the numbers of tourists visiting the country. Tourist arrivals in the month of September increased by 18.1 percent compared to the same period last year.

Statistics released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority indicated that 71,111 tourists arrived in the country in the month of September compared to the 60,219 tourist arrivals in September 2011. Arrivals during the first nine months of the year has increased by 16 percent to 693,772 from the 598,006 arrivals in the same period last year.

Arrivals from North America increased by 29.9 percent, from Canada by 23.7 percent, and from USA by 35.3 percent. Arrivals from Western Europe increased by18.6 percent, while arrivals from Eastern Europe increased by 52.0 percent.

It is being targeted to attract one million tourists this year.

Courtesy : Department of Government Information