போரினால் சிதையும் ஸ்ரீலங்காவின் சுற்றுலா வருமானம் - ரொய்ட்டர்ஸ்

Most tourists have stayed away this year, deterred by renewed civil war between the state and Tamil Tiger rebels that has killed 3,000 people this year alone amid a rash of land battles, air raids and suicide bombings.

A backpacker haven since the 1970s, Hikkaduwa has sprouted luxury hotels with pop bands, internet cafes, and diving schools catering to mostly middle-aged Germans and Britons looking for tropical sunshine in the middle of their winter.

"This is the worst it's been in 30 years," said W. M. Bandaranayake, manager of the Coral Sands Hotel on Hikkaduwa's main strip.

"We had more guests after the tsunami."

The war has prompted foreign governments to issue travel advisories discouraging their citizens from visiting the island this year, causing a dramatic drop in tourist arrivals.

Tourist arrivals fell 22.4 percent in November compared to a year ago, on the back of a 12 percent drop in October -- not an encouraging sign for a country dependent on tourist dollars and still recovering from the 2004 tsunami.

Tourism brought $450 million dollars (230 million pounds) into Sri Lanka's $23 billion economy last year, and is one of the main foreign currency earners for the country along with tea, textiles and remittances from abroad.

The industry directly employs 150,000 workers and affects the livelihoods of half a million people -- from shopkeepers selling batik sarongs and incense sticks at tourist strips, to coconut water vendors on the beach.

"Tourism is a key sector, and this year's drop in revenues will affect disposable incomes, which in turn will hurt the economy as a whole," said Dushyanth Wijayasinghe, research head at Asia Securities.

(Edited)

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenew...C1-ArticlePage1