Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka drop by about 30% amid Middle East crisis

Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe says that tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka have declined by about 30% due to the ongoing military situation in the Middle East.

He stated that 768 flights scheduled to bring tourists to the country had been cancelled as a result of the situation, leading to a significant drop in visitor numbers.

The Deputy Minister also noted that plans have been formulated to develop Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport as part of efforts to further promote the tourism industry.

Meanwhile, the Export Development Board (EDB) said that the ongoing crisis in the Middle East has affected Sri Lanka’s export sector.

Chairman of the EDB, Mangala Wijesinghe, stated that the Middle East region accounts for about 8% of Sri Lanka’s total exports.

He further noted that if the crisis continues, discussions are underway to redirect 35% of tea exports currently sent to Iran to another country.