Asia Pacifi c & Indian Ocean On the crest of a wave
After the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009, the island saw a dramatic rise in tourist arrivals. Almost 10 years later, Claire Dodd takes a look at its source markets, current trends and predictions for the future
W
ith visitor numbers consistently increasing and a few major developments in the
works, it’s clear that Sri Lanka is having a moment. Decidedly in vogue, the island nation in the Indian ocean is now hoping to attract a new demographic of traveller. International tourist arrivals grew by 7-8% in 2017, the highest growth rate since 2010. According to GlobalData, international arrivals in 2017 stood at 2.1 million people, which is almost five times the number for 2009 (448,000), the year the civil war came to an end. The company predicts numbers will continue to grow and Sanath Ukwatte, president of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and chairman of the Mount Lavinia hotel in Colombo, adds that for up to July 2018, visitor numbers for the year are already up nearly 14%.
China boom
So where is this growth coming from? According to Elena Mogos, associate analyst for travel and tourism at GlobalData, the number of international arrivals from China has seen the biggest boom, increasing by 77.6% between 2012 and 2016, and predicted to grow 8.1% between 2017 and 2021.
China is now the second biggest market by arrival numbers, after India. But with the Chinese avidly exploring destinations further afield, visitor numbers have slightly decreased recently.
“Sri Lankan authorities are constantly trying to attract more Chinese travellers; the latest effort comes from the Sri Lankan government, which signed an agreement with Chinese tour operator Yingke Travel to provide Chinese tourists with high-quality facilities,” says Mogos.
In terms of others, India, European markets (including the UK, Germany and France) and the Maldives,
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What’s new? Hotels
Recent openings include the Shangri-La, the Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa and Movenpick in Colombo, with the latter being the fi rst new fi ve-star hotel to open in Colombo in 25 years. Plus, the Sheraton Kosgoda Turtle Beach Resort opened its doors in September.
A stilt fi sherman at work
remain key areas of focus. However, visitor numbers from the USA are expected to grow at the highest rate – 11.8% between 2017 and 2021, reaching 95,000 tourists by 2021.
Trends on top
For these burgeoning markets and with new kinds of consumers eyeing the destination, a fresh approach is needed. The biggest news by far is that Sri Lanka Tourism is to unveil new country branding at WTM London. Though no exact details have been announced, the launch will be followed by a print, outdoor and digital marketing campaign in key markets (UK, Germany, France, India and China) from November.
International arrivals by country in 2017 (000s)
India 394.4 China 293.8 UK 209
Germany 148.9
France 105 The Maldives 100.5 Australia 77 Russia 65 USA 62 Canada 48.7
Airlift
SriLankan Airlines (AS245) began daily direct fl ights between Melbourne and Colombo from October 2017. Edelweiss Air will start a direct route to Colombo from Zurich this month.
Infrastructure A number of signifi cant road and rail projects are either proposed or under way. The expressway to Kandy via Kurunegala will be completed by 2019. Three new government-proposed rail projects (Matara-Beliatta, Beliatta-Hambantota and Kurunegala-Habarana), are slated for completion in the next three years.
Upcoming openings include the Amari Colombo in mid-2019. The Grand Hyatt Colombo – under construction – has not yet confi rmed an opening date, while a new 400-room fi ve-star resort in Negombo, being constructed by Valibel One PLC, has also been given the green light.
John Amaratunga, minister of tourism development, says: “We will present Sri Lanka as a dynamic destination that offers the world our renowned beaches, ancient history and cultural heritage in addition to the myriad of other treasures that exist in the island.”
According to Madubhani Perera, director of marketing at Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, this means eco-tourism, weddings and cruise will all be areas of focus. She says: “More eco-friendly hotels have been set up to give an ambience of the environment, including jungle cabins, tree houses, eco-lodges and camping huts with personalised services.”
Luxury travel will also be a focus according to Ukwatte: “There seems to be a trend towards villas and boutique hotels, and guests seem to stay in small accommodations paying higher prices. Therefore, hotel products need to be relooked at and move against the traditional hotel designs and offerings.” Business travel will blossom too, says Euromonitor International, with several global chains either opening or recently having opened in Colombo. And adventure travel – with surfing, kite-surfing, hot-air ballooning, white-water rafting, trekking and mountain climbing all on offer – continues to draw visitors. New destinations are also opening up. With much of the north inaccessible during the civil war, it is destinations in the south and central Sri Lanka (such as Kandy, Sigiriya and Dambulla) that have become firmly established on the tourism trail. But the east coast and the north are now drawing larger numbers, while the new plan aims to promote northern destinations, including Mannar and the Jaffna islands. “We have enjoyed a wave of growth despite relatively little advertising,” says Jean-Marc Flambert, director or Your Tourism Partner, which runs
srilankatraining.com. “We will now step up our activity to harness our true potential.”
The training site has now been relaunched, with updated information to help sell Sri Lanka.
Buddhist statues in a cave temple at Dambulla
■ Visit the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau on stand AS200
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