Post-war tourism arrivals to Sri Lanka from the Middle East have surged by a remarkable 85 percent as an increasing number of travelers from the region visited the island nation according to Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau's (SLTPB) Middle East office. “The month of June has seen exceptional growth with travelers from Saudi Arabia and UAE leading the resurgence to post extraordinary growth during the month of June with Saudi travelers up by 186 percent and UAE travelers up by 181 percent compared to the same month last year,” said SLTPB's Middle East Director, Heba Al Ghais Al Mansoori. She noted that travelers from other Gulf countries including Qatar and Oman as well as Lebanon and Egypt contributed significantly to the overall growth in tourism arrivals. “We are confident that this growth will be sustained and we hope to better our numbers during the Eid break and year-end through sustained promotional efforts and strengthening support for the travel trade in the region as we see an increased awareness both among the travel trade and the consumers for Sri Lanka as a preferred destination,” Al Mansoori said.
