The newly appointed Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), Buddika Hewawasam, convened a meeting with tourism associations at the SLITHM Auditorium yesterday, emphasizing the government’s commitment to developing the tourism sector and outlining several meaningful initiatives to achieve this goal. Hewawasam announced plans to establish
Sri Lanka welcomed a remarkable 25,966 tourists from October 1 to 6, 2024, indicating a strong trajectory for monthly arrivals heading towards a record high. The total number of arrivals for 2024 has now reached 1,510,774, surpassing the previous year’s total of 1,487,303. In a notable trend, Chinese tourists have moved to the second position
Sri Lanka’s tourism sector continues to show positive momentum as of September 2024, with both visitor arrivals and earnings on the rise, despite a slight dip from the previous month. Recent data reveals that the country generated US$ 181 million in tourism revenue in September, a significant increase from the US$ 152.2 million earned in
Sri Lanka’s tourism sector saw a significant boost in foreign exchange revenue, reaching $181 million in September 2024, an 18.9% increase from $152.2 million during the same month last year, according to the Central Bank, citing data from tourism promotion authorities. For the first nine months of 2024, tourism revenue surged by 61.2%, totaling $2.35
Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has achieved a significant milestone, with total tourist arrivals surpassing the entire number recorded in 2023 by October 1, 2024. The country welcomed 1,480,678 visitors from September 1 to 29, 2024, maintaining a daily average of approximately 4,000 arrivals. This brings the cumulative total for the year to exceed last year’s
The launch of a free-visa system for nationals from 35 countries, originally scheduled for October 1, has been postponed, as announced by Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Vijitha Herath. The delay is attributed to the necessity of obtaining Parliamentary approval, which is complicated by the current dismissal of Parliament. During the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing,
Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka crossed the 100,000 mark within the first 26 days of September, according to provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). By September 25, the total number of international visitors stood at 99,955, with the milestone being reached last Thursday. The daily average of arrivals for September was
Sri Lanka has reinstated its $50 double-entry visa for most international visitors and a $20 double-entry visa for South Asian travelers, following a court order to restore the previous e-visa system. The earlier visa fees had been increased under a deal with VFS Global and IVS-GBS, leading to a $75 single-entry visa charge along with
In 2023, total employment in Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, including indirect jobs, grew by 11.24% year-on-year (YoY), reaching 429,641 employees, according to provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). Direct employment within the sector increased by 7.3% YoY, hitting an all-time high of 204,591 workers. Hotels and restaurants dominated, accounting for 80.9%
Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is forecasting a significant increase in tourist arrivals following the recent elections. The tourism authority expressed optimism that the political stability brought by the elections would lead to a surge in international visitors. Industry experts, however, are urging the government to prioritize the reintroduction of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system