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Sri Lanka would likely end this calendar year with 750,000 tourist arrivals and about $2 billion in earnings, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said
Published : 01 Dec 2022, 02:31 PM
SriLankahopesto double touristarrivalsto1.5millionnextyearand bring in $5 billion in vital foreign exchange, thetourismminister said on Thursday, as the island nation seeks ways to tackle its worst financial crisis in seven decades.
The country of 22 million people, famed for its beaches, ancient temples and aromatic tea, has been struggling for months to pay for essential imports of fuel, food and medicine because of a lack of foreign exchange.
"Tourismcan play a major role inSriLanka's recovery and this is what we are aiming fornextyear,"TourismMinister Harin Fernando told reporters in Colombo.
SriLankawould likely end this calendaryearwith 750,000 touristarrivalsand about $2 billion in earnings, Fernando said, adding his ministry would be targeting high end tourists and introducing new products in 2023.
The Indian Ocean island is also rolling back night-time power cuts intourismzones, as the overall electricity situation improves from 13-hour power cuts earlier in theyear, Power Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said on Wednesday.
Months of protests, political turmoil, power cuts and fuel queues dampenedtourisminSriLankajust as it was recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-2022.
An estimated $4 billion loss intourismrevenue over the past twoyears also contributed to tippingSriLankainto the financial crisis, according to former ministers.
SriLankasigned a preliminary agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $2.9 bailout in early September but has to get prior financing assurances from private and bilateral creditors, including India, China and Japan before disbursements can begin.
