Jan 16, Colombo: Sri Lanka Tourist Board figures show that the arrival of tourists to Sri Lanka increased last year despite the country's escalating ethnic conflict. However, the tourist arrivals were far behind the targeted 600,000.

Some 549,308 tourists arrived in Sri Lanka in 2006. This is 10,295 more than the number of arrivals in 2005, said the Sri Lanka Tourist Board.

Tourist arrivals from India increased, while the high-spending Western European tourists declined in number over the past year.

Series of promotions launched by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board and the availability of a direct Sri Lankan Airlines flight attracted more Chinese tourists.

Sri Lanka Tourist Board together with the World Tourism Organization is organizing a Regional Workshop on Tourism Statistics and Tourism Satellite Account in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 13-16 February 2007 especially for statistics professionals and managerial staff in tourism industry. City Bank Card, Chase low rate loan, American Express