Middle East travelers have been choosing Sri Lanka as a key holiday destination during 2004…
Middle East travelers have been choosing Sri Lanka as a key holiday destination during 2004, as the latest inbound tourist figures show more than 50 per cent increase in travel from the region in the past 6 months.
Sri Lankan Tourist Board tourist arrivals data for May and June show a 55.2 % change from January to June last year (Middle East: 2003 – 2,153 visitors/2004 – 3,341 visitors Jan to June 2004) Travel from the Middle East showed the highest percentage increase in this period for travelers to Sri Lanka over and above the country`s traditional key travel markets of Western Europe & Australasia.
SLTB Director General, Mr. S. Kalaiselvam, said he was not surprised about the increased interest in Sri Lanka due to its unique offerings for Middle East travelers: Sri Lanka is less than a five hour flight from much of the Middle East, with an increasing number of direct flights providing even more reason for people to travel.
Emirates Holidays West Asia Pacific Rim Manager Jyrki Nilson added: Travellers from the Middle East are increasingly looking for new destinations and Sri Lanka provides a great mix of luxury hotels, natural wonders, pristine beaches and a welcoming sightseeing adventure for families and all leisure travellers.
Arab travelers love to visit such places as the Cultural Triangle including Kandy to see the many historic sites as well as the famed elephant orphanage. Buying famous Ceylon gemstones such as sapphires is also high on the list of souvenirs of Sri Lanka for the Arab traveller.
Mr Kalaiselvam said Sri Lanka had long Arab links. Early Arab traders established strong trading ports in Sri Lanka and coined the country Serendib, the land of happy surprises. These Arabic links remain strong today. Mosques are widely present as is halal food and many hone-away-from-home comforts. Strong trading links in gems and tea and other key trade products remain strong between the Middle East and Sri Lanka.
Middle East airlines have responded to the growing interest in traveling to Sri Lanka by extending services to Colombo. Besides Emirates Airline, which offers 25 scheduled flights per week from Dubai to Colombo, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Air Arabia have all recently launched direct flights to the Sri Lankan capital.
SriLankan Airlines has introduced thrice-weekly operations to Bahrain this summer. The airline also plans to grow its Dubai to Colombo service from 27-34 flights in the near future. As a part of recent bilateral agreements, the national carrier will add two more weekly services from Kuwait.
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