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
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
Cathay Pacific has unveiled its new winter schedule for 2024-2025, with plans to boost the frequency of return flights between Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport and Hong Kong. Starting from 2 January 2025 to 1 March 2025, the airline will operate four return flights per week, up from the current three. Additionally, from 2 March 2025
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
Air China, one of China’s largest airlines, will begin daily flights to Sri Lanka in October 2024, marking a significant boost in air connectivity between the two nations. The announcement was made by former Tourism Minister Harin Fernando on X (formerly Twitter). This expansion follows Air China’s resumption of flights to Sri Lanka in July
Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has generated over $2 billion in revenue during the first eight months of 2024, despite a shortfall in tourist arrivals, according to the latest data from the Central Bank. Tourism earnings between January and August reached $2.16 billion, representing a 66.1% year-on-year (YoY) increase. The earnings for the first eight months
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry faces significant challenges due to a fragmented tour guide sector, threatening the country’s ability to meet its target of attracting five million visitors by 2030. A recent study by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) found that 23% of the country’s 6,347 tour guides are operating without proper licenses, highlighting
Sri Lanka is set to offer a two-week tourist visa at no cost to visitors from 38 selected countries, according to Cabinet spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardena. The new visa policy was approved by the Cabinet and is aimed at making travel easier, similar to Singapore’s visa-on-arrival system. “The Cabinet approved the immediate implementation of
Long queues were observed at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) today as travelers faced delays in obtaining on-arrival visas. The current situation arises because Sri Lanka has not yet reverted to the previous visa approval and issuing system, following the Supreme Court’s order to suspend the VFS-led system. This has led to extended wait times for
Sri Lanka’s tourism sector generated an impressive income of US$ 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