Sri Lanka is on the brink of hosting 1.2 million tourist arrivals, with a notable surge in arrivals with cruise travellers earlier this month.
In the first 12 days of November, a total of 55,491 tourists visited the country, propelling the cumulative number of visitors to an impressive 1.18 million. The daily average has also increased from 3,523 to 4,624 visitors at present with data revealing air and sea embarkations.
On 9 November, super luxury passenger vessel M.V. Aida Bella, operated by Aida Cruises Germany with 1,900 passengers and 730 crew on-board called at the Port of Colombo.
Russia emerges as the top generating market for November so far with 10,064 tourists, followed by India with 9,535 visitors, Germany with 6,545, UK with 3,770 and China with 2,364 tourists.
Sri Lanka Tourism projects a continuous influx of tourists throughout November, estimating a total of 204,114 arrivals by month-end. This optimistic projection aligns with the industry’s anticipation of a busy winter season, reflecting growing confidence in the country’s appeal as a travel destination.
India remains strong as the top source market year-to-date with 238,067 or 20%, while Russia catching up steadily with 152,993 or 13% and UK with 103,067 or 9%.
The impressive numbers underscore Sri Lanka’s efforts to revive its tourism sector, which faced a series of challenges during the past four years.
As Sri Lanka inches closer to the 1.2 million tourist milestone, stakeholders in the tourism sector express optimism for sustained growth and a vibrant winter season ahead. “The current surge in arrivals signals positive momentum and resilience in the industry, whilst sharing the economic benefits with a wider society,” industry experts said.
Sri Lanka Tourism is confident of attracting 1.55 million tourists and earning $ 2.5 billion.
During the first 10 months of the year, earnings have totalled $ 1.59 billion. It is a 56% year-on-year (YoY) growth compared to the same period in 2022. October earnings stood at $ 136.70 million.
In light of these encouraging numbers, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said Sri Lanka Tourism has set an ambitious target of welcoming 2.5 million tourists and earning $ 4 billion in income in 2024.
