COLOMBO, 26 July 2019: Reliable booking data reveals that three months after the Easter Sunday attack, Sri Lanka is still suffering, although a slow recovery appears to underway.
A report from ForwardKeys, which analyses over 17 million flight bookings a day revealed bookings were down 26% from 9 June to 21 July, when compared with the same period last year.
Between 1 January and 21 April, international flight bookings to Sri Lanka rose 3% up on the year before.
However, in the immediate aftermath of the 21 April attacks, there was a spike in cancellations and bookings collapsed.
The first week saw a decline of 181%, which means that in addition to no new bookings registered, there was a wave of cancellations of existing bookings.
The Sri Lankan police responded forcefully and, within six days, arrested over 70 suspects. Just over a week later, 7 May, the Prime Minister declared that all the jihadists responsible had been caught or killed.
From the beginning of May, a weak recovery trend began, but bookings still have a long way to go before they are back at last year’s levels. Over the whole three-month period (22 April to 21 July), bookings slumped 69% when compared with the equivalent dates in 2018.
Less than two months after the suicide bombings, flight bookings to Sri Lanka stabilised. From 9 June to 21 July, the level plateaued at a decline of 26% on the equivalent period last year.
“One has to feel deep sympathy for the people of Sri Lanka. They suffered from coordinated and ghastly suicide bombings on Easter Sunday, a day of the year, that will make the horrors even harder to forget,” said ForwardKeys APAC business development director, Jameson Wong.
“The deliberate targeting of tourists, as well as locals, is having a severe impact on a valuable sector of the country’s economy, which according to the World Travel & Tourism Council is responsible for 27% of export revenue.
“We see initial signs of recovery, but it
is likely to take time before visitors regain their confidence in travelling to
this beautiful country.
“The irony is that this is a perfect time to visit Sri
Lanka, as there will be pressure on prices. Also, it will be a fantastic
experience to support a recovering nation and feel the warmth of Sri Lankan
hospitality.”
