Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals up 27-pct in Feb: data

Mar 15, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals increased 27 percent to 83,549 in February 2012, from a year earlier, and visitors during the first two months were up 21 percent to 169,423, the state tourist promotion office said.

South Asia, the second largest generating market, showed an increase of 14.1 percent with Indian arrivals up 12.6 percent to 11,342 and Maldives up 15.

4 percent to 2,675.

Arrivals from Western Europe rose 23.4 percent to 38,364, though UK visitors fell 9 percent to 8,746.

German arrivals rose 42.6 percent to 7,654, arrivals from France increased 27.



7 percent to 6,378 and those from the Netherlands rose 15 percent to 2,596.

Eastern Europe generated 3,675 visitors up 62.

4 percent and the Middle East brought 3,675 visitors up 21 percent.

North America showed a 20 percent increase to 4,166 with US arrivals up 17.7 percent to 2,252 and Canadian visitors up 22.

9 percent to 1,914.

Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals have boomed since the end of a civil war in 2009. In 2011, arrivals rose 30.8 percent to 855,975.