Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has reached a significant milestone, surpassing 1.7 million arrivals so far for 2024 with over 100,000 visitors welcomed during the first 17 days of November, signalling a strong momentum as the year-end holiday season approaches.
From 1-17 November, the country received 103,315 tourists, pushing the year-to-date (YTD) figure to over 1.72 million. The daily average tourist arrivals were at 6,077.
Industry leaders now express confidence in exceeding the revised target of 2 million visitors by the end of the year, fuelled by a surge in arrivals during November and robust airline connectivity.
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) forecasts 198,069 arrivals for the entire month, driven by heightened demand during the winter season.
Leading the arrivals in the first 17 days is India with 23,660 tourists, followed by Russia with 16,602, and Germany with 7,776 visitors. India maintained its leading position YTD with a strong 346,633 arrivals, whilst Russia emerged second with 154,201 visitors YTD, surpassing the UK, which registered 153,218 tourists.
“We are optimistic about the numbers continuing to grow through the end of the year,” an industry analyst said, citing the resumption of charter flights from Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia as key contributors to the recent uptick.
The sector has shown resilience despite challenges earlier this year, including disruptions in visa issuance between April and September 2024.
Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam acknowledged the impact of the setback but remained confident about achieving the revised goals. “Although the original target of 2.3 million tourists may not be feasible due to the setback saw in visa processing, we are confident of surpassing 2 million arrivals. The recovery we have witnessed since September is remarkable,” he told the Daily FT.
A key driver of the sector’s recent performance is improved air connectivity. The return of charter flights and increased frequencies by major carriers have boosted arrivals from key markets, particularly in Eastern Europe, with direct flights.
The winter season is expected to further amplify these gains as Sri Lanka recently was rated by the UK’s leading travel magazine Wanderlust as the world’s “Most Desirable Island” for tourists.
Sri Lanka Tourism is also leveraging the country’s year-round appeal to attract a diverse mix of visitors with the launch of a new national branding campaign, which is set to be launched from January 2025. Looking ahead, the sector’s focus will be on capitalising on its momentum by implementing targeted marketing campaigns and improving infrastructure to meet the growing demand.
Despite the sector being poised for a strong finish to 2024, industry champions and analysts cautioned about the challenges in the sector, particularly with processes, ease of doing business, and travel advisories and safety, which they are keen to address to avoid similar disruptions in the future.
