The total number of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka went up 46.2 to 74,197 in January 2011 while the figure was only 50,757 in 2010 January, according to the latest figures released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

Figures showed an increase in the number of arrivals from Western Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Middle East and North America.

Tourists from Western Europe, the traditional tourist generating market, rose 53.7 percent to 32,627 in January 2011. The number of visitors from the UK went up 15.7 percent to 9,518, those from France up 100 percent to 4,544 and from Germany up 24.0 percent to 5,543.

South Asian visitors rose to 42.9 percent to 17,900 with tourists from India up by 50.8 percent to 13,786, from Maldives up 17.1 percent to 2,817 and from Pakistan up 32.6 percent to 890.

Arrivals from Australasia went up 35.2 percent to 3,889 and from East Asia up by 53.7 percent to 7,269. Japanese visitors increased 16.5 percent to 1,429, visitors from Malaysia rose 41.9 percent to 1,070. Visitors from Singapore rose 87.1 percent to 1,027.

Tourist arrivals in the country increased sharply from May 2009 with the restoration of peace.