Travel Advisors Book Sri Lanka Again Thanks to Downgraded Warnings
Photo Credit: Hotels like KK Beach on Habaraduwa Beach are offering significant discounts to attract visitors after some lean times. Srilankacollection.com
Skift Take
Tourism to Sri Lanka was riding high until the Easter massacre all but shut it down. Now that foreign governments are scaling back their travel warnings, some travel advisors are again pushing the destination, hoping that tourism will help get the country back on its feet.
Travel advisors are encouraged by the recent easing of travel warnings to Sri Lanka, anticipating a rebound of interest in a country that up until last April's terrorist attack was winning accolades and regarded as an up-and-coming destination.
The U.S. is among a dozen countries to have recently downgraded warnings about travel to Sri Lanka issued after the terrorist attacks on April 21, Easter Sunday, in which more than 250 people were killed.
The U.S. State Department last month toned down its advisory to Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), bringing it in line with security warnings from countries like Australia, Canada, the UK, and Sri Lanka’s largest source of visitors, India.
Previously Sri Lanka had a State Department Level 3 warning, effectively urging travelers to “reconsider” their trip.
The past three months have seen the Sri Lankan tourism market decimated, with government statistics showing 40,527 arrivals in May, down from almost 130,000 the same time
