- Tourism Minister Harin Fernando ecstatic as country makes impressive revival in 2023
- Says December records over 200,000 arrivals – highest monthly figure since 2020
- Eyes ambitious 2.5 m tourists and $ 3.5 b in revenue for 2024
- India emerges as single biggest source market in 2023, with Europe becoming the largest region with significant contributions led by Russia, the UK and Germany.
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has achieved a robust revival in 2023, marking a significant milestone by registering the highest influx of visitors to Sri Lanka since 2019.
With almost 1.5 million visitors, the country has made significant strides amid consecutive challenges during the past four years.
This resurgence in visitor numbers reflects a positive trajectory for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, showcasing its resilience and recovery after facing various challenges, including the impact of the 2019 Easter Sunday tragedy and the subsequent disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and adverse travel advisories imposed by numerous countries particularly in 2022 amid political and economic crisis.
“The recovery of the tourism industry is a testament to the collective efforts of the Government and private sector champions. The upward trajectory in tourist arrivals and earnings signifies a promising future for the industry and its integral role in the country’s economic growth. I think the total arrivals for 2023 will be almost 1.5 million, which was the original target set or slightly below that,
