Sri Lanka advertises in Russia to woo tourists after Easter Sunday bombings

Sri Lanka has been trying to woo tourists with cheap travel, low-cost hotels and massive promotions to re-establish its tourism industry after the Easter Sunday bombings.

As an initiative to lure tourists back, Sri Lanka has been investing in hosting international sporting events. Adding on to the list are mouth-watering discounts on restaurants and cheap hotel stays. The Sri Lankan government is also investing in state-owned airlines to offer special fares, free airport pickups and day trips with free corkage fees.

There has been a drastic fall in the GDP of Sri Lanka after it was shaken by the ISIS attack on April 21. The mass killing of 250 people has resulted in a deep threat to tourists.

The land of Buddhist temples has been in constant threat to attacks because of which countries like England, India and the United States have issued travel advisories. The advisories led to an additional cut to tourism in the country.

The reservations by the tourists have seen a downfall from 30 per cent to 10 per cent for the months to come by. Considering the situations, grand resorts like Kavanga Resort and Spa on the southern beach of Hikkaduwa have been offering rooms for $35, lessening it from $75.

Sanath Ukwatta, the president of the Hotels Association said, "Lots of hotels have curtailed operations and shut down wings. They may have reduced or laid off."

According to the data shared by Kishu Gomes, the head of the Tourism Bureau, the influx of tourism has declined by leaps and bounds. The figures have declined from an average of 4,500 tourists to 1,500 every day. This is creating a setback in the tourism economy of the country.