Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is experiencing a welcome surge, with arrivals reaching the 100,000 mark for May 2024 as of May 28th. The total number is expected to hit 900,000 by early July.
As of May 26th, total arrivals reached an impressive 881,541. India continues to be the leading source market with 150,857 visitors, followed by Russia (110,046), the United Kingdom (78,927), and Germany (64,957). China has also seen a significant climb, moving from seventh place to fifth with 54,120 arrivals.
The current arrival rate has dipped to around 3,500 per day due to the traditional lean season. However, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry remains optimistic. The record year for tourism was 2018, with 2.33 million visitors. Last year saw a respectable 1,487,303 arrivals.
Sri Lanka Tourism is confident that 2024 will surpass even 2018’s figures. Several factors contribute to this optimism:
- The recent visa controversy has been resolved, with free visas reinstated for seven countries.
- The minimum room rate requirement for city hotels has been lifted.
- Active global marketing campaigns are underway.
- Major travel websites are featuring Sri Lanka as a top travel destination.
With these developments, a senior tourism official believes that reaching 3.3 million visitors by year’s end is a realistic target.