As many as 5,562 tourists from India visited Sri Lanka in May followed by 3,723 from the UK, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said in a statement, according to a PTI report
India was Sri Lanka’s top inbound tourist market in May despite the economic and political crisis in the island nation, the tourism authority recent said. As many as 5,562 tourists from India visited Sri Lanka in May followed by 3,723 from the UK, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said in a statement, according to a PTI report.
However, the cumulative arrivals of visitors in May have halved in comparison to April. “The total number of international tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka during May 2022 was 30,207. Tourist arrivals for the month of May have plunged by almost 52 per cent, in comparison to April and 72 per cent in comparison to March 2022, which recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals up to May, 2022,” the statement said.
A crippling shortage of foreign reserves has led to long queues for fuel, cooking gas, and other essentials. There have been long power cuts and soaring food prices
In April, the UK topped the list of holiday makers in Sri Lanka with 11,500 visitors from the country, followed by India with 8,678. The slump of tourist arrivals in May could be due to the effects of the current economic and political situation in the country, the statement said.
The tourism industry is a major forex earner in the island nation. There have been street protests in Sri Lanka against the government since early April due to its mishandling of the economic crisis. A crippling shortage of foreign reserves has led to long queues for fuel, cooking gas, and other essentials. There have been long power cuts and soaring food prices.
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