<p><img src="" alt="Featured Image"></p><p><!-- wp:html --><p><strong><span>By Harischandra Gunaratna</span></strong></p>
<p>Institute of Hospitality's outgoing president Dr. Harsha Jayasinghe says that foreign tourist arrivals have increased by over 106 percent during the past financial year.</p>
<p>Addressing the 32nd Annual General Meeting of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality's Sri Lanka branch in Colombo on Thursday (16), Dr Jayasinghe said that the country's tourism upsurge could also be witnessed in the increase in the number of repeat-visitors. "Repeat guests are proof that a country's tourism industry is performing well and of its high standards," he said.</p>
<p>Jayasinghe said maintaining high service standards directly is the way forward as it impacts the quality of the guest experiences and the possibility of receiving repeat guests.</p>
<p>Tourism is the third largest foreign exchange earner for the country. The hospitality component of the industry accounts for about 13.3 percent of the total foreign exchange earnings. It has given direct and indirect jobs for 450,000 people.</p>
<p>Jayasinghe pointed out that if Sri Lanka could get a state-of-the-art conference hall which could accommodate around 5,000 pax, there would be a boost for the tourism industry.</p>
<p>"We have missed out some of the top conferences though the organisers showed an interest in hosting those events in Sri Lanka, Dr Jayasinghe said.</p><!-- /wp:html --></p><p>[Category: <a href="https://feed.lankaimage.com/category/uncategorized/" rel="category tag">Uncategorized</a>]</p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> </p>
<p>Institute of Hospitality's outgoing president Dr. Harsha Jayasinghe says that foreign tourist arrivals have increased by over 106 percent during the past financial year.</p>
<p>Addressing the 32nd Annual General Meeting of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality's Sri Lanka branch in Colombo on Thursday (16), Dr Jayasinghe said that the country's tourism upsurge could also be witnessed in the increase in the number of repeat-visitors. "Repeat guests are proof that a country's tourism industry is performing well and of its high standards," he said.</p>
<p>Jayasinghe said maintaining high service standards directly is the way forward as it impacts the quality of the guest experiences and the possibility of receiving repeat guests.</p>
<p>Tourism is the third largest foreign exchange earner for the country. The hospitality component of the industry accounts for about 13.3 percent of the total foreign exchange earnings. It has given direct and indirect jobs for 450,000 people.</p>
<p>Jayasinghe pointed out that if Sri Lanka could get a state-of-the-art conference hall which could accommodate around 5,000 pax, there would be a boost for the tourism industry.</p>
<p>"We have missed out some of the top conferences though the organisers showed an interest in hosting those events in Sri Lanka, Dr Jayasinghe said.</p><!-- /wp:html --></p><p>[Category: <a href="https://feed.lankaimage.com/category/uncategorized/" rel="category tag">Uncategorized</a>]</p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> </p>