Purple mountain observatory of the chinese academy of sciences, Research institute in Beijing, China

The significant drop in tourist activity is one of the myriad consequences of the April 21, 2019 terrorist attacks on three luxury hotels and as many Catholic churches in Sri Lanka, reports Efe news.According to official data, around 40 of the victims and 19 injured persons were foreign visitors from different countries, including India, China, Denmark, Spain and the UK.The Sri Lankan Ministry of Tourism said that the number of tourist arrivals dropped by 70 per cent after the attack, going from 166,975 tourists to 37,802 between April and May.In 2019, around 1.9 million people visited the island, with the majority of the visits taking place before the attacks, during the first four months of the year.According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the top markets were India, the UK, China, Germany and Australia.But experts have said that even the SLTDA data does not reflect the complete picture of the economic losses to the sector, key to Sri Lanka's economy, in 2019 compared to the previous year."When we compare with 2018, 2019 recorded a drastic drop. Even today we had tourist cancellations for the month of February," Roshi Stronach, director Sales and Marketing at Lion Royal Resorts, told Efe new son Tuesday.Since the attacks in April, which targeted three of the most upscale hotels in the country, hotel chains have had to engage in a tariff war to compete in a crashing market.Five-star accommodations are being offered at three-star tariffs in a desperate attempt to attract visitors, which in turn chokes the medium and low-range sector, Stronach said.Rooms originally priced at $420 per night in one of the most luxurious hotels of the country, was currently being offered at around $100 with breakfast included, a tactic which is pressurizing lower-category establishments to offer rooms at around half of this price due to an evident lack of tourists.Former SLTDA director-general and industry veteran Upali Ratnayake concurred that the data released by the authority about the number of visits did not offer the complete information about the situation.He said clearer data was needed to understand the industry-wide slump, and why the arrival numbers did not convert to revenue or income for the sector.Responding to the downturn, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has ordered the launch of a promotional plan for the country which plans a recovery within the next five years."Every step has to have immediate results. I am prepared to take the decisions that need to be taken for the country without fear," he said.Rajapaksa has set a target of generating revenues worth $10 billion through tourism by 2025, a goal that seems quite ambitious at the moment, even as Colombo's beaches lie vacant.( With inputs from IANS )

Purple Mountain Observatory Of The Chinese Academy Of SciencesFOLLOW

Purple mountain observatory of the chinese academy of sciences, Latest News

China has informed the members of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that it will raise the India-Pakistan issue during a closed door session on Wednesday, according to diplomatic sources. ...

A report has shown that the total number of US grant patents for Chinese mainland companies increased by 34 per cent in 2019, the strongest growth among major economies. ...

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a free trade agreement and will be evaluated based on "economic and trade merit", asserting that India has not closed its doors on ...

Emphasising on the need to grow India's relationship with Europe, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said here on Wednesday that India is "under-performing" in respect to the collective relationship with Europe. ...

One of the biggest surprises at this year's CES 2020 came in the form of a new concept car unveiled by the entertainment and tech giant Sony - a move that must make traditional car makers worried, says a new report. ...

After being forced to retire from her Australian Open qualifying match, Slovenia's Dalila Jakupovic slammed the orgsers of the tournament, saying the tennis players expected them to take better care. ...

The Trump administration has no current plans to lift the tariffs worth about $370 billion, or nearly on two-thirds of Chinese imports to the United States, despite an interim "phase one" trade agreement that is all set to be signed on Wednesday with ...

Sri Lanka, the Indian Ocean island known for its pristine beaches and sprawling tea plantations, has recorded a drastic slump in tourist numbers in 2019 after the Easter Sunday bombings that killed over 250 people. ...