Sri Lanka to host the 2007 World Tourism Day

Sri Lanka has been selected by the World Tourism Organization to host the 2007 World Tourism Day. The Ministry of Tourism plans to host the World Tourism Day 2007, with variety of promotional events. 

There are about 150 member countries in the World Tourism Oraganisation and the hosting of the World Tourism Day will give a great opportunity to Sri Lanka to work in close collaboration with those countries in promoting the tourism industry.

"It would be a great opportunity to upgrade the Tourism trade in Sri Lanka. It opens doors with immense prospects to the Sri Lankan tourism trade" said Mr. George Michael, the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism.

This year’s World Tourism Day is hosted by Portugal.

Sri Lanka would be holding its national ceremony of the World Tourism Day at Yapahuwa, a historic city in Sri Lanka.

This year has been a year in which tourism has been quite successful and it has brought in foreign exchange to the government of Sri Lanka. According to Mr. Michael, there has been an increase of 12% in the tourist arrival at the end of the August with comparison to the last year’s data of the tourist arrivals.

As at the end of August, 405,487 tourists have arrived to Sri Lanka, there is a huge difference in it when considering the arrival of 362,049 in the year 2005.

Most of the tourists who have visited Sri Lanka in the recent past are from the West European countries. And the number of their arrival in Sri Lanka has also increased in 15.2% with comparison to the last year’s number.

"Our aim is to increase the total tourist arrival to Sri Lanka to 600,000 at the end of this year," said Mr. Michael.