Sri Lanka Tourism creates history by achieving 2014 arrivals target

Tuesday, 30 December 2014 01:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The booming Sri Lanka tourism industry created history by achieving its year 2014 arrivals target of 1.5 million tourists on 28 December by welcoming German couple Torrens Jaime and Ciupika Hedwig, who arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport via UL558as the 1.5 millionth tourists to Sri Lanka in 2014. The couple was given a warm welcome by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Managing Director Rumy Jauffer, the Board of Directors of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, industry leaders and senior staff of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

A special cultural dance performance was held at Bandaranaike International Airport to welcome the couple and Sri Lanka Tourism offered a special gift and a complimentary package to them to visit the country’s tourism attractions. Jaime is an Architect by profession and a great admirer of late legendry Architect Geoffrey Bawa. The gentleman has much to speak about this legendary and has been moved to become an admirer of Sri Lanka due to the influence of Bawa’s architecture. By achieving the 2014 arrivals target of 1.5 million tourists, the tourism industry has shown steady growth, assuring continuity with its key focus for the next two years being to attract 2.5 million arrivals by end 2016. This strategic development plan of Sri Lanka Tourism will achieve its core objectives serving the needs of all stakeholders and ensuring the economic benefits of the industry are distributed to a larger cross section of the society in line with the national effort of making Sri Lanka the ‘Wonder of Asia’. The record breaking tourist arrivals were made possible due to the leadership given by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, guidance given by Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa and efforts made by Sri Lanka Tourism, a statement noted.