Sri Lanka Tourism is poised to achieve a significant milestone by the end of the month, with expectations of surpassing 1 million visitor arrivals if the current momentum continues. As of the first 19 days of June, the country welcomed 69,825 tourists, bringing the cumulative figure for the year to 966,825.
Industry analysts remain optimistic that Sri Lanka will cross the 1 million mark by the end of the month, maintaining the daily average of 3,675 arrivals seen in June thus far. Should this trend persist, it would result in over 110,000 arrivals for the month, boosting the total to over 1 million within the first half of 2024.
Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, which is recovering from multiple setbacks, looks forward to leveraging this momentum to reach new heights, reaffirming the country’s appeal as a premier tourist destination in the region.
“This achievement would significantly boost the confidence of industry stakeholders in meeting the ambitious targets of 2.3 million arrivals and generating over $ 4 billion in revenue by the year’s end,” analysts noted.
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority forecasts an influx of 148,695 tourists for the month. However, they lamented that the 1 million arrivals milestone would have been achieved much earlier, if the visa-free policy for over 60 countries was implemented. “With regional competitors continuing to attract global travellers with more favourable conditions, let us hope that at least before winter season starts the visa-free policy implemented. It will definitely give a bigger boost to the industry and economy,” they said.
From 1 to 19 June, India emerged as the top source of visitors, contributing 18,794 tourists (27% of total arrivals). The United Kingdom followed with 5,649 visitors (8.1%), and China accounted for 5,097 travellers (7.3%). Additional sources of visitors included the Maldives, Australia, Bangladesh, Germany, the United States, Russia and Canada.
Given the current trends, India is likely to surpass 200,000 arrivals year-to-date (YTD) by the end of June. As of 19 June, a total of 174,631 Indian visitors arrived in Sri Lanka, making it the single largest source market. Russia follows with 112,850 visitors and the UK with 85,735.
The robust performance in tourism numbers reflects growing international confidence in Sri Lanka as a travel destination.
The industry analysts said the surge in arrivals is expected to further invigorate the tourism sector, encouraging stakeholders and investors alike.
FT