The dollars spent by tourists spending a night in Sri Lanka is on the rise due to the increase in the services and value additions within the country’s tourism sector, says the Director General of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

In 2012, the amount a foreign tourist arriving in Sri Lanka had spent a night was USD 103 and that by 2013 this amount had increased to USD 156.50, said Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Director General Dr. D.S. Jayaweera.

He showed confidence that this would increase in 2014.

Hence, the USD 1.7 billion revenue which Sri Lanka earned last year would increase this year and that within the first two months in 2014 alone Sri Lanka has earned an income of USD 295 million, he revealed.

In 2008 Sri Lanka had earned only USD 390 million through the tourism industry.

The deficit in balance payment could be easily covered through revenue earned from the tourism industry, Dr. Jayaweera pointed out.