Sri Lanka is aiming for over 2.5 million tourist arrivals in 2024, marking a significant recovery as it surpassed 1,077,251 arrivals by July 11th. The country welcomed 67,002 tourists in the first 11 days of July alone.
From January to June 2024, tourist arrivals surged to 1,010,249, up 61.7% from 624,874 in the same period in 2023. This revival boosted tourism earnings substantially, with revenues reaching USD 1.556.6 billion in the first half of 2024, a remarkable 77.9% increase from USD 875.0 million in 2023.
The average daily arrivals now exceed 5,000, driven by enhanced connectivity, particularly from India and Jaffna emerging as a top destination. India led with 204,011 visitors, followed by the Russian Federation (115,543), the United Kingdom (95,149), Germany (73,513), and China (67,830). France also contributed significantly with 52,442 arrivals.
Notably, Russian arrivals saw a spike in June, attributed to reduced winter season traffic.