Sri Lanka has achieved a major tourism milestone, reaching over 1.6 million tourist arrivals by the end of October. With more than 117,000 visitors recorded in the first 27 days of the month, the tourism sector continues to rebound. However, industry experts note that the figure could have been higher if not for certain challenges, including delays in visa processing and recent travel advisories from foreign missions regarding potential security concerns in Arugam Bay.
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) initially set a target of 2.3 million arrivals for 2024, with an anticipated revenue of $4.5 billion, drawing from the benchmarks established in 2018. However, SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam has revised the forecast, anticipating around 2 million arrivals and over $3 billion in revenue by year-end, acknowledging recent obstacles.
Tourist arrivals in October saw a steady increase, with 29,815 visitors in the first week, 30,103 in the second, and 30,751 in the third. Arrivals dropped to 26,472 between October 22-27, following security warnings issued by Colombo-based embassies.
India remains the leading source market for Sri Lanka, contributing 32,097 tourists, or 27.4% of October’s arrivals, followed by the United Kingdom with 9,113 visitors (7.8%) and China with 7,609 tourists (6.5%).
Despite these challenges, the tourism sector is outperforming recent years, with $2.34 billion generated in the first nine months of 2024 — a 61.2% increase from the same period last year. Looking to the future, the SLTDA’s new leadership has outlined an ambitious five-year plan to draw in 5 million tourists and achieve $8.5 billion in revenue through consistent growth.