Sri Lanka Tourism Arrivals Increase 20.3% in May 2014

Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals recorded a growth of 20.3 % in May 2014 compared to the same period in year 2013. During the month of May, 2014 recorded 90,046 tourists arrivals in the country compared to the 74,838 arrived in May 2013 which is highest in foreign tourist history for month of May .

The cumulative total of foreign tourist arrival for first five months of 2014 is 624,178 giving record of a 26.5 percent increase from the 493,294 came during the corresponding period in 2013.

Most of the tourists arrived from Western Europe with 200,605 tourist arrivals in the first five months of this year recording an 18 % increase over corresponding 2013 figures. France recording 31.2%, Germany 22.6% followed by UK topped the list of Western Europe. Arrivals from South Asia, the other region from where most of the tourists come, increased by 19.4 percent in the year with 145,373 tourists visiting the island while, arrivals from India increased 22.3 percent to 64,327 in May.

In the first five months of the year 108,867 East Asians arrived in the island, an increase of 51.9 percent. Number of Chinese tourists arriving in the island jumped by an impressive 139.6 percent and recorded 43,885.

Arrivals from Eastern Europe increased 46.6 percent with the arrival of 82,271 tourists. Most of the arrivals from Eastern Europe were from Russia with 36,655 arrivals increasing by 77.4 percent.

Mega Tourism Caravan 6 Day 1 - SRI LANKAN CULTURE AND TRADITIONS SHOWCASED IN MOSCOW

The grand Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Show- Mega Tourism Caravan 6 commenced its activities with a Cultural Show followed by a Banquet, fittingly named " Sri Lankan Night" at the Crystal Ballroom of the hotel " Lotte Plaza" in Moscow, on the night of 29 May 2014. Under the guidance of Ministry of Economic Development and supported by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau the event is meticulously planned and executed under the close supervision of His Excellency Udayanga Weeratunga the Ambassador to Russian Federation. The 'Sri Lankan Night' at the Lotte Plaza was showcasing the 'Beauty and Traditions' of Sri Lanka became a tremendous success and gave the right impetus to other activities to follow in the Mega Tourism Caravan 6 show.

The presence of over 200 guests at the 'Sri Lankan Night' comprising members of the diplomatic corps, leading travel and tour operators in Moscow, prominent businessmen in the tourism and tea trade, leading print and electronic media representatives and the members of the Sri Lankan community added glamour and quality to the evening.

The photo exhibition which greeted the guests on their arrival added a lot of colour to the event too with over 120 photos displayed on visits of His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Republic of Kazakhstan. The photos on display also included photos of major tourist destinations in Sri Lanka such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Kandy, Sigiriya, Pinnawela and Nuwara Eliya along with scenic and pristine beaches on both Western and Eastern coasts, Hotels, Sri Lankan cuisine, traditional dancing and wild life. One of the highlights of the evening was the Sri Lankan Cultural Show presented by the Dance Guild of maestro Chandana Wickremasinghe encapsulating rich Sri Lankan culture through traditional dancing, drum fusions, mask dancing and a medley of folk songs.