Omicron dashes winter hopes for tourism
View(s):Tourists from Europe and the UK hoping to holiday in Sri Lanka are cancelling bookings due to the raging Omicron variant in their own home countries.
“Some people have contracted the disease and there are cancellations from the UK and Europe,” Immediate Past President of Hoteliers Association Sanath Ukwatte told the Business Times.
He pointed out that this has become “very concerning to us because of the instability of Omicron widely spreading”.
But occupancies are picking up during this holiday season as Sri Lankans continue to patronise the hotels in addition to the Indian leisure travellers heading to Colombo.
More Indian travellers are expected in January when the numbers build up due to the school holidays during the first week. “So we are expecting increasing numbers from India,” he said.
The industry hopes the numbers will pick up and targets could be met with about US$500 million in earnings and possibly 400,000 for the season.
Expatriate Sri Lankans from Canada and Australia are also returning home and there is a likelihood that normal operations could resume by January.
Christmas and New Year events are receiving a good number of bookings as well with the occupancies improving compared to last year, Mr. Ukwatte said. Occupancies are likely to reach about 60-70 per cent comprising 50/50 Sri Lankan and foreign tourists.
Jetwing Symphony Chairman Hiran Cooray told the Business Times that a slowdown is likely for winter as a result of the cancellations.
Travellers are unsure whether they will be able to get back to their own countries since Omicron is reportedly spreading fast in Europe. Due to this reason people fear to venture out believing that their own home countries might go for lockdowns or impose other restrictions on those re-entering.
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