Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka have declined by around 30% due to the ongoing military situation in the Middle East, according to Ruwan Ranasinghe.

He stated that 768 flights scheduled to bring tourists to the country had been cancelled, leading to a significant drop in visitor numbers.

The Deputy Minister also said that plans are being developed to further promote tourism by developing the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport.

Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, noted that the crisis has also affected Sri Lanka’s export sector.

The Middle East accounts for about 8% of the country’s total exports, and if the situation continues, authorities are considering redirecting 35% of tea exports currently sent to Iran to other markets.