Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka have crossed the 50,000 mark in the first two weeks of February, reigniting hopes of a faster recovery in the tourism sector, one of the mainstays of the island nation’s battered economy. According to provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), 54,685 international visitors entered the country during the above mentioned period, 15 per cent more than the corresponding period of the previous year. The cumulative arrivals for the 1 January to 14 February period stood at 157,230, a 21 per cent year-on-year increase. Emerging as the largest tourist traffic generator for Sri Lanka was the Russian Federation, accounting for 26 per cent of the total foreign tourist arrivals in the first two weeks of this month. India ranked second bringing, making up 12 per cent of the total arrivals. The United Kingdom came third, with 9 per cent. Sri Lanka has set a monthly foreign tourist arrivals target of 105,000, reports Daily Mirror.
