SriLankan Airlines achieves strong growth in Australia

SriLankan Airlines is continuing to achieve strong growth in passenger bookings from Australia, and expects to announce a big increase when the current financial year ends for the carrier on 31 March.

Figures just released by the Sri Lankan Tourist Board show that total visitor numbers to the country reached 500,642 in 2003 – an increase of almost 30 per cent on total numbers in 2002, with a massive 78 per cent growth in numbers of visitors from Australia – the largest increase from any single market.

“Australians are always seeking new destinations to visit, and Sri Lanka fits that requirement perfectly,” said Mr Ian Robinson, SriLankan Airlines General Manager Australia and New Zealand.

“The destination has achieved continuous strong growth from Australia during the past few years, and that is reflected in the above-average increases in visitor numbers,” said Mr Robinson.

“We are delighted with the growth in bookings that we are achieving. Although we are currently an offline carrier, we are continuing to generate steady growth in bookings on our flights from Singapore to Colombo, and beyond to the Maldives and to India, where we now serve nine destinations. That trend shows no sign of slowing.”

The Sri Lankan Tourist Board reported that 19,958 visitors arrived from Australia in 2003, compared with 11,217 in 2002.

And in the neighbouring beach resort of the Maldives, total visitor numbers in 2003 grew by 16.3 per cent, while the number of Australians rose by 20.7 per cent.

“Sri Lanka offers a vast range of activities, from surfing and golf to highland tea plantations in Kandy and the world-famous Pinnewala orphanage for elephants,” said Mr Robinson. “There is also an excellent selection of luxury hotels and conference facilities in Colombo, while the Maldives continues to offer a unique holiday experience, either in its own right or as an add-on to Sri Lanka.”

SriLankan Airlines has also improved significantly the accessibility of Sri Lanka for tourists and business travellers by introducing “air taxi” services from Colombo to remote destinations, using newly-acquired Cessna Caravan aircraft.

“These aircraft are proving very popular with tourists and business travellers alike,” said Mr Robinson. “In some cases, they can now carry travellers to regional destinations in Sri Lanka within 30 minutes, versus more than six hours by roads through the highlands, offering a whole new range of opportunities for visitors.”