Sri Lanka receives over 166,900 tourists in April

Over 166,900 tourists arrived in Sri Lanka last month, which was a 7.5 per cent decline compared to the same period last year due to large cancellations following the Easter Sunday bombings, according to official statistics on Tuesday.

The April 21 attacks at three churches, three luxury hotels and two other locations claimed over 250 lives and injured hundreds.

The top five markets for Sri Lankan tourism were Britain, India, Germany, China and Australia, said the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

Overall, over 900,000 tourists have visited Sri Lanka till April this year which is a 2.2 per cent increase compared to the first four months of last year, Xinhua news agency reported citing the figures.

Sri Lankan tourism industry is one of the worst affected since the carnage. Hotels have faced 90 per cent cancellations since the attacks.

SLTDA Chairman Kishu Gomes said on Monday that the Tourism Ministry would launch a massive global promotional campaign in the coming months to advertise Sri Lanka as a safe destination and the industry hopes to bounce back within two to 13 months. IANS