768 Flights Cancelled Amid Middle East Crisis; Tourist Arrivals To Sri Lanka Drop 30%

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe says that 768 flights to Sri Lanka have been cancelled due to the crisis in the Middle East. 

The Deputy Minister further noted that tourist arrivals have decreased by 30%.

He said the tourit arrivals are heavily affected as transit points for tourists arriving from the Europe are located in the MiddleEast. 

However, India the country that reports the highest number of tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka have not shown any changes in their arrivals. 

Additionally tourists from Japan, Australia have been arriving in Sri Lanka as well. 

Minister stated that the current situation is seen as a short term connectivity shock and it will impact the country's tourism sector significantly if the War in the Middle East is continued.