Sri Lanka’s tourism sector generated an impressive income of US$ 328.3 million in July 2024, a figure almost matching the country’s half-yearly tranche from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This significant boost in tourism earnings, which more than doubled the June income of US$ 151.1 million, highlights the sector’s robust recovery following years of disruption due to the Easter attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The surge in July was driven by the arrival of 187,810 tourists, a marked increase from the 113,470 arrivals in June. With 117,825 visitors in the first 19 days of August, total arrivals for 2024 up to August 19 reached 1,315,884, bringing the country close to surpassing last year’s total of 1,487,303 tourists.
Sri Lanka’s tourism earnings for the first seven months of 2024 stand at US$ 1,884.9 million, reflecting a strong 72.3 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The nation is targeting between US$ 3.5 to US$ 4.0 billion in tourism revenue by year-end, with a goal of welcoming around 2.4 million tourists.