Nov. 4 – Sri Lanka is booming as an attractive tourist destination following the end of the civil war, with tourist arrivals up 40 percent in the current holiday season. Goa, traditionally the regional hotspot for beach vacations, by contrast has seen bookings slide.

Sri Lanka has been aggressively marketing its vacation capabilities and is also cheaper than Goa, which has been moving up market in recent years. Two nights at a five star resort in Goa will buy five nights in Sri Lanka, according to Thomas Cook.

“Goa has been positioning itself for the corporate market,” says Chris Devonshire-Ellis, publisher of 2point6billion.com who regularly visits both destinations. “Whereas Sri Lanka has still to develop that. Sri Lanka is also far more diverse, there is a wider choice of things to do. It doesn’t just have to be about the beach, which is what Goa is all about.”

Both destinations share similar markets, with mid-October to May being long haul winter sun escapees from Europe, and May-September being mainly Asian and Indians as the monsoon hits.

Further Reading:
Goa Tourism
Sri Lanka Tourism