Package holiday bookings to areas hit by the Boxing Day tsunami are well down on last year. Bookings to Sri Lanka for this winter are 62% down, the Maldives is 38% down and Thailand is 26% down, said the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta).

But Abta added that the figures only apply to people booking through travel agents and that non-package holidaymakers appeared to be travelling to the tsunami-hit areas in good numbers. Abta spokesman Keith Betton said: “There are a number of people in these areas who are on working holidays helping the recovery process. “Also, these are areas still very popular with backpackers.”

Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Tourist Board has announced that the country is on course for a return to a growth in tourist arrivals of above 10%. The board said that among new air services to Sri Lanka was a Manchester-Colombo fortnightly operation that First Choice Holidays will launch next May.

Hotel developments include the reopening of two luxury establishments, the refurbishment of some tsunami-hit properties and the opening of a new luxury villa close to Galle Fort on Sri Lanka’s south coast, which was badly affected by the tsunami.

The board added that 4,000 acres of land on Sri Lanka’s west coast is being developed into an upmarket tourist hotspot.

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