Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minister Harim Fernando said on Thursday that calling on Indian tourists to boycott the Maldives would “absolutely” help Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.
“The Maldives issue… helps us,” Fernando told CNBC, referring to a social media row in January that led to a sharp drop in Indian tourists to the Maldives this year.
Data from Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Tourism shows that in 2023, India will be the Maldives’ largest source market.
By comparison, nearly 34,400 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka in January, more than double the 13,759 in January last year, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Board. Arrivals in the first quarter of 2024 exceeded those in the same period in 2023, despite a temporary doubling of Sri Lankan visa prices in April due to a visa dispute.
Fernando also noted the close ties between Sri Lanka and India in terms of business and tourism.
“Sri Lanka is a big market for (Indian tourists),” he said. “Sri Lanka has more to offer…Sri Lanka is more valuable to India.”
He mentioned the country’s beaches, casinos, shopping malls and Ramayana Trail, a series of attractions mentioned in the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana.
In addition, he said, the two countries have close ties.
“Connectivity — that’s the trigger,” he said. “SriLankan Airlines alone has 80 weekly flights to Indian airports.”
India’s growing tourism prowess
Fernando said that by 2030, Indian tourists will become the world’s fourth largest tourism consumer group, and this prediction is “definitely” a good sign for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.
“I think the fastest growing economy is India and Sri Lanka will definitely benefit from that,” Fernando said, adding that Indian companies have invested heavily in the island.
Sri Lanka Maldives concept
Fernando said he would like to see more global brands invest in Sri Lanka – investment that the teardrop island failed to secure when it waged a 25-year civil war that ended in 2009.
“We have attracted a lot of overseas investment,” he said. “We are building some overwater bungalows in new areas – like a concept in the Maldives – because we are surrounded by beaches.”
Fernando also outlined plans to increase adventure activities to attract younger visitors, from hot air ballooning to skydiving and diving to explore the more than 100 nearby World War II-era shipwrecks, he said.
“We are making Sri Lanka an entertainment hub,” he said. “We have a lot of big-name stars performing.”
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