• At least 150,000 arrivals are needed to address current foreign exchange crisis

By Kelum Bandara

 Around 16,000 tourists arrived in the country during the first week of January, Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said.

Making his remarks to the media upon return to the country from Dubai, the Minister said a round the clock vaccination centre had been established at the airport for people arriving in the country to get their first, second or booster doses.

He said the government was confronting the twin challenge of reviving the economy and protecting people from the pandemic. The Minister arrived in the country after participation in the Dubai Expo 2020 event.

The Minister said Sri Lanka is among the ten best countries in the world in terms of mass vaccination against Covid-19.

At the Dubai Expo 2020, Sri Lanka Pavilion showcased its natural resources, tourist attractions, investment and business opportunities, as well as its timeless ruins, rail network, world-class culinary scene, preserved ecosystems and stunning spiritual monuments.

The Minister earlier said in Dubai that Sri Lanka would focus on the Middle Eastern region for the attraction of tourists in the event of Covid-19 cases surging in some parts of Europe. He also said at least 150,000 tourists should be attracted a month to tide over the present foreign exchange crisis.