Sri Lanka to implement new tourist programs

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ministry of Tourism announced that the tourism promotion programs targeting India, Australia, the Middle East, the United States, and Canada will be implemented to prevent the potential impact on tourism, as a result of the Ukraine - Russia War.

Minister of Tourism, Prasanna Ranatunga has pointed out to the Cabinet the need for a suitable program to sustain the tourism industry in the face of the energy crisis in the country.

Presenting a Cabinet note on the revival of the tourism industry at the Cabinet meeting held yesterday (28) the Minister has emphasized that the government should ensure that the tourism industry is not affected by energy crisis.

The Minister said that there has been a significant increase in the number of tourist arrivals in the country and that 274,211 tourists had arrived in the country by the previous day so far this year.

The number of tourists who visited the country from March 1 to March 27 was 95,377.

The Minister told the Cabinet that the tourism industry expects to generate the US $ 2.4 billion in revenue by the end of this year and that achieving this target will help Sri Lanka overcome the current foreign exchange crisis.