Sri Lanka’s tourism industry reached another milestone in May, surpassing the 100,000 mark in arrivals with a total of 108,665 visitors. However, this figure marks the second consecutive month with arrivals falling below the 200,000 mark previously sustained for half a year.
This slight dip is attributed to the end of the European winter season, which typically sees a surge in tourist arrivals. Despite this, overall figures remain positive. Year-to-date arrivals for 2024 have reached 893,316.
India continues to be the leading source market for Sri Lankan tourism, contributing 28.7% of arrivals in May with 31,225 visitors. The Maldives emerged as the second-largest source market (7,984), followed closely by the United Kingdom (7,844). Germany (7,374) and China (7,180) rounded out the top five.
China’s position reflects the ongoing influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Chinese government prioritizes domestic tourism to aid economic recovery, outbound travel remains sluggish. This explains the decrease in Chinese arrivals compared to pre-pandemic levels.
On a brighter note, tourism revenue for the first four months of 2024 (USD 1.25 billion) has doubled compared to the same period in 2023 (USD 652.2 million). This indicates a promising trajectory for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector.