Thursday, 9 April 2015 00:00
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China retained its place as the second largest source of tourists to Sri Lanka, growing by 84.5% in March when compared with the previous year, and the industry body has set a target of 200,000 by year-end.
Chinese tourist arrivals of 28,798 in March 2014 expanded to 53,135 in 2015, which is an 84.5% increase. Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals rose 18% in March this year compared to the same period last year, the data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed.
Overall the month recorded 157,051 tourists arriving in the country compared to the 133,048 who arrived in March 2014. In the first three months of this year 478,838 tourists visited the island, an increase of 13.6% compared to the 421,501 recorded for the same period in 2014.
Chinese tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka kicked off the New Year positively, growing by 8.9% in January. In the first month of 2015 Chinese arrivals grew to 11,735 from 10,779 in January 2014.
Chinese tourists to the tiny island in the Indian Ocean have risen rapidly over the last two years, with 2014 ending at an all-time high. In 2013 only 54,288 Chinese tourists visited Sri Lanka but the numbers ballooned to 128,166 by the end of last year, growing an impressive 136.1%. It also means that the target of 200,000 is largely realistic.
The tropical island is aiming to attract 2.5 million arrivals by 2016, buoyed by fast increasing numbers from China but it will have to innovate and find new products to not only grow Chinese numbers but also ensure that they return for multiple visits. Campaigns on social media have become an important part of Sri Lanka’s marketing strategy driven by reach and relative inexpensiveness. Promoters are also looking to expand into more provinces, often linking with airline routes, which are crucial to encouraging more visitors.
In 1990, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia became the pioneer batch of nations granted the Approved Destination Status. Today, at least 116 have been granted this status, vying for a share of China’s outbound tourism.
With China’s outbound numbers soaring from 29 million in 2004 to 109 million last year, with a record S$ 223 billion spent overseas, Sri Lanka will not only have to ramp up its offerings as a tourist destination but also work to keep its diplomatic engagement with the Chinese Government on an even keel.
Increased tension over the suspension of the Port City project and other deals inked by the previous Government could have very current consequences for the tourism industry, which along with remittances, are a cornerstone of the economy.
Moreover, the tourism industry body has voiced concern over the bulk of Chinese tourism and indeed large numbers from other sources, flowing to the informal market. While assisting small time operators is important it is clear that perhaps more private -public engagement is put in place to encourage the formal sector. Value additions will be crucial on this front to create healthy completion between the informal and formal sectors and promote the overall industry at the same time.
