100 Chinese tour agents to visit Sri Lanka in 2013

Over a hundred Chinese tour agents will visit Sri Lanka in 2013 to promote the tropical island as a tourist destination for the world's fastest growing economy, a top official said here on Thursday. Sri Lanka's Cabinet has given approval for the Economic Development Ministry to sponsor over 100 Chinese tour agents to visit Sri Lanka this year as part of its plan to attract 2.5 million tourists by 2016. "As far as Sri Lanka is concerned, Sri Lanka had the problem within the country, that's the war. After the war when we worked out our economic strategies tourism sector comes as number one. And we also have plans to reach the numbers to 2.5 million which I would say in a large and even ambitious target," Cabinet spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told journalists. Since the end of the three decade war in 2009, Sri Lanka's tourism market has boomed with over a million arrivals recorded in 2012. Buoyed by the industry's success the Sri Lankan government is focusing more on China to attract up market tourists. "As far as China is concerned, they also have the finances but we are not as close culturally with Chinese or the Gulf so therefore we need additional promotional work. For that the minister has set out a plan and the Cabinet has approved it to ensure that we reach our target of 2.5 million tourists as well as look at emerging markets and up market clients." Last year revenues from tourism skipped the one billion U.S. dollar mark for the first time in history. Multinational hotel companies including Hyatt, Shangri-la and Sheraton have also inked agreements to open resorts in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government also hopes to create employment for 500,000 people within the industry.