Colombo:

Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka plunged by 30 per cent in June compared to a year ago as fighting escalated in the country’s bitter ethnic war, Sri Lanka tourism board said.

Months of heavy fighting mainly in the north and east, but also attacks near the capital and the international airport saw tourist arrivals fall to 30,810 in June, compared to 44,066 last year despite sharp discount offers from hotels.

For the first six months of the year, overall tourist arrivals are down nearly by 25 per cent to 224,791 visitors, compared to the same period a year earlier.