Deserted beaches, empty rooms: Sri Lankan tourism takes a hit after bombings
Net hotel bookings fell 186% on average over the week following the attacks on churches and hotels on Easter Sunday
Bentota/Colombo — Sri Lanka’s $4.4bn tourism industry is reeling from cancellations as travellers shun the sun and sand at the Indian Ocean island after multiple suicide bombings that killed over 250 people two weeks ago. Suspected suicide bombers from little-known Islamic groups in Sri Lanka attacked churches and luxury hotels in the country on Easter Sunday, killing worshippers, tourists and their families. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks. Tourism, which accounts for 5% of the country’s GDP, has suffered as tourists from around the world cancelled hotel and flight bookings fearing more attacks. “It’s a big blow to the economy, as well as the tourism industry,” President Maithripala Sirisena said in an interview on Saturday. “For the economy to develop, it’s important tourism returns to where it was before the attacks.” Net hotel bookings dropped a staggering 186% on average over the week following the attacks compared with the same period in 2018, data from t...
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