Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel
The tourism sector plays a vital role in Sri Lanka’s economy, contributing significantly to its GDP and providing employment for many. However, sometimes misleading information is spread about the sector on social media, especially about statistics of foreign tourists arriving in the country.
Social Media Posts
A group of Icelandic tourists arrived in Sri Lanka on November 4, and certain social media posts claimed it was the first Icelandic tourist group to visit the country in its history.
Some hotels even stated that this was the first Iceland tourist group to visit Sri Lanka.
These social media posts resulted from widely circulated news reports, highlighting the arrival of the Icelandic tourist group and stating that it was a historic first for the country. However, certain news streams did not report that this event was a first of its kind.
Therefore, we decided to do a fact-check on this.
Fact Check
Tourist Data Records:
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has recorded arrivals from Iceland dating back to at least 2018.
This indicates that Icelandic tourists had visited Sri Lanka before this group’s arrival; hence, the “first-ever” arrival claim is invalid.
Below are SLTDA tourist arrival figures for 2022, 2023, and up to October 2024, showing a steady increase in Icelandic tourist arrival figures.
2024- January to October – Tourist arrivals
2023 January to December – Tourist Arrivals
2022-January to December Tourist Arrivals
Ceremonial Welcome:
This particular tourist group received a ceremonial welcome at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) ceremony, probably one reason why it was reported as a historic first for the country.
They held a banner displaying “Baenda Ferdir,” the name of an Icelandic travel agency, suggesting a planned arrival.
We searched for more details with the said travel agency from Iceland and found the tour itinerary as seen here from November 4th to 19th
Jetwing Travels’ Role:
We searched further and found that Jetwing Travels was functioning as the local travel operator for this Icelandic group, making them the first Icelandic tourist group managed by Jetwing Travels.
We contacted Jetwing Travels, who confirmed that this milestone for the agency was the reason for the ceremonial welcome, which was organised in partnership with the Tourism Promotion Bureau.
They (the group of 24 tourists) arrived in Sri Lanka on November 5th and, after 2 weeks of travel covering various parts of the island, have left the country now.
Follow us and stay up to date with our latest fact checks.
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google News | TikTok
Conclusion:
While this tourist group was not the first Icelandic group to visit Sri Lanka, they were the first to visit via Jetwing Travels, which explains the special welcome event. Therefore, the claim that this was the “first-ever” Icelandic tourist group in Sri Lanka is false.
Title:Icelandic Tourist in Sri Lanka – Not the first of its kind, but first by Jetwing Travels!
Fact Check By: Kalana KrishanthaResult: Misleading
