Tourist arrivals up 11.6% in February, growth loses steam

By Cheranka Mendis

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority yesterday released the long delayed statistics for February which showed that tourist arrivals in February grew by 11.6% to 93,232 whilst growth in the first two months was 12.5% to 190,643.

In comparison to last year’s performance, the current growth rate is lower suggesting momentum is losing steam. In February 2012, arrivals were up 27% and by 21% in the first two months over 2011. However, the current rate is from a higher base.

The top 10 markets during the first two months had India at the lead commanding 26,770 tourists up by 3%, followed by UK with 21,266 (up 26%), Germany (15,014) up 10.5% and France (12,199) up by 9%.

The largest arrivals from a single country during the month also came from neighbouring India which recorded an arrival base of 11,139 in February. However, arrivals from India in February were was down by 2% from a year earlier.

Recognised as a traditional market, UK, which has established itself as the second biggest tourist generator to Sri Lanka, recorded an increase of 26.1% with 11,031 arrivals. Following behind taking up the third, fourth and fifth positions were Germany, France, and Russia with arrivals reading 8,276 (8.1%), 6,632 (4%), and 3,286 (9.6%).





Regionally, Western Europe recorded the largest number of arrivals numbering 43,635 with a 13.7% growth over the same month of the previous year. Arrivals from South Asia were 15,897 (2.5%), East Asia 12,589, Eastern Europe 9,218 and North America 4,361. Tourists from the Middle East were recorded as 3,887, Australasia 3,223, Africa 268 and Latin America and the Caribbean 144.

Arrivals from China in February were up 89.1% to 3,669 as it topped the list of source markets in East Asia whilst in the first two months, arrivals were up 58% to 6,145.

However, negative growth was recorded from a number of countries in February compared to the same period last year including countries such as Canada, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Pakistan  and  Australia.