Anti-Muslim violence and an outbreak of dengue fever in Sri Lanka have led the government to slash its target for tourist arrivals this year after a record 2017. Tourism Promotion Minister John Amaratunga said on Tuesday that 2.5 million arrivals were expected, down from an earlier estimate of 3 million, generating revenue of $4 billion.
He said a case of sexual assault against Dutch tourists in April in the town of Mirissa had also harmed the country's image abroad, though he could not quantify the impact of the incident in terms of visitor numbers. In March, the government declared week-long a state of emergency in the central district of Kandy after rioting in which mosques and Muslim homes and businesses were destroyed.
Travel warnings for dengue are still in effect for Sri Lanka after an outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus killed more than 300 people there last year. "When these things happen our targets get shifted... but we are working hard to attract more tourists," Amaratunga said.
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